Exchange programmes VG2

Applicable to those taking the second year of upper secondary education as an exchange student outside of the Nordic region.

Upper secondary education abroad

If you live with your parents, you only receive the grant for course materials. Most people who do not live with their parets receive for one academic year
  • grant for course materials of NOK 1,398
  • housing grant of NOK 6,871 per month
  • travel grant from NOK1,066 og 5,804

Exchange programmes in Upper Secondary Education

You can receive a grant from Lånekassen when you go on an exchange, but there are some rules you need to be aware of depending on who facilitates the exchange for you.

Approved exchange programmes via school

If your school has an exchange partnership with a high school abroad, you must check that it is on the HK-dir list of approved partnership programmes. You can only receive grants and loans from Lånekassen if the partnership programme is on this list.

In such cases, the exchange period can last from one week to one year, and the stay can be at any time during the three years you would normally attend high school in Norway.

Exchanges via an approved exchange organisation

You can also travel via an exchange organisation approved by HK-dir. In such cases, the exchange period must last for one year and can replace VG2 in Norway.

If you go on exchange to a country where the school year follows the calendar year, you can receive grants and loans when you travel after the first semester in VG1 or VG2.

Exchanges via Erasmus+

If you are going on exchange via Erasmus+, you may also be entitled to grants and loans, but the exchange period must last for at least three months.

Apprenticeship in a company abroad

If you are an apprentice and want to take all or part of your apprenticeship in a company abroad, you can receive grants and loans. Before applying, you must have entered an apprenticeship contract, and the program you are going to complete must be approved by the county municipality.

Application deadlines

You must have a school place before you apply. The deadline is the same for all grants and loans regardless of who facilitates the exchange:

  • 15 November for the entire year or just the autumn semester
  • 15 March for the spring semester
Go to application

Housing grant

You can receive
NOK 6,871
per month

When you attend upper secondary school abroad, you may be eligible for a housing grant if you do not live together with your parents.

No separate application form is required for this, but you need to tick that you will be living away from your parents in the usual application form for grants.

Grants for travel

Support for
two trips home
for a full academic year

If you live abroad and away from your parents outside of the Nordic region, you may be eligible for travel support.

If you study abroad for the full academic year, 17,5 per cent of the travel support is a grant, while 82,5% is a loan. If you study abroad for a single semester, 35 per cent is a grant, and 65 percent a loan. Everyone is entitled to the grant element and you can choose to also apply for the loan element. The loan must be repaid later.

No separate application form is required for travel support, it is part of the usual application form.

Amount for various continents

The amounts are intended as subsidies for two round trips during the year:

Continent NOK, grants NOK, loans
Europe 1 066 6 092
North and Central America 3 978 22 732
Oceania 5 804 33 164
South America 5 093 29 104
Asia 3 660 20 916
Africa 4 381 25 036

Travels within Norway

If you also have to travel within Norway to get to Oslo Airport, you will receive a subsidy for two return trips in Norway for each kilometre you have to travel:

  • 0-300 kilometres: NOK 2,22 per kilometre
  • 301-1,500 kilometres:  NOK 1.23 per kilometre
  • 1,500 kilometres or more: NOK 0.44 per kilometre

The entire sum is paid as a grant, but we will deduct an excess of NOK 1,442. To calculate how much you can get for travels within Norway, you must calculate the amount for one travel and multiply with four (two return trips) and subtract the excess of NOK 1,442. 

Are you above the age of 18 and want to take out a loan?

You may borrow up to
NOK 3,963
per month if you live away from home

If you are above the age of 18 and don’t live with your parents, you may borrow up to NOK 3,963 per month.

The loan is not means-tested against income. This means that you can receive the loan regardless of how much you or your parents earn.

The loan must be repaid

This is a loan you must repay. When you no longer receive grants and loans from Lånekassen, interest accrues on the loan and you must repay it. You must pay the entire loan plus interest, but you repay it in monthly instalments.

How to apply

There is no separate application for loans. When you apply for grants and check the box indicating that you are living away from home, you are asked if you also want to apply for a loan.

Up to
NOK 115,221
in tuition fee grants

Tuition fees

If you will be attending a school where tuition fees are payable, you may be eligible for more support.

Tuition fee grants

You may be eligible for a grant to pay some of your tuition fees. The grant is for up to 85 per cent of tuition fees, but there is an upper limit of NOK 115,221 per year.

Grants are available for tuition fees only but do not cover, for example, programme fees payable to an exchange organisation. The school must verify that you pay tuition fees.

A separate application form is available to apply for a grant to cover parts of tuition fees.

Loans for tuition fees

If you have to pay tuition fees, you may also borrow up to NOK 33,145 per year to cover these fees. You cannot receive more in support for tuition fees than you are actually required to pay. You will apply using the usual application form.

Go to application form for grants for tuition fees
Does your family have a strained economy?

If your parents have a strained economy, you may be entitled to more grant.

The limits for how low your parents' income must be vary. This is because this also affects whether you can receive an income-dependent grant:

  • whether your parents live together
  • whether your parents have new partners
  • how many siblings you have
Check if you are entitled to this grant