Childbirth and adoption

If you have a child while studying, more of your loan can be converted into a grant.

Parental grant

How much do I receive in parental grant?

Loans you have previously received are

converted to grants

You will not receive more than previously. Loans for the period you are entitled to a parental grant will be converted into grants, Additional loans and tuition fees loan for online studies abroad are not converted into parental grants.

Terms and conditions

You receive parental grant for three weeks before birth and 46 after birth. Fathe/co-mother can receive a parental grant for 40 weeks.

It is only the mother who is entitled to parental grant for the last three weeks before birth and the first six weeks after birth. The father or co-mother can receive a parental grant from week 7 and until week 49.

To receive a parental grant you must either be in education, be on maternity leave from your studies or have reserved a study place. You will not qualify for the grant if you interrupt your studies.

It is also a requirement that you must have been in an education programme and have been entitled to support for four months immediately before the child was born.

If you take leave earlier than three weeks before the birth, you may lose the right to parental grant.

If you take leave earlier because your health situation requires you to do so, or if it is a requirement from your educational institution, you may still qualify for parental grant. However, you must include documentation that proves this when applying for parental grant.

You may be on leave from your course of education and still receive parental grant. And even if you receive parental benefit from NAV while also receiving the parental grant, the grant will not be reduced. If you are a student or apprentice with statutory rights as a young person, social security benefits and pension benefits, such as parental benefits from Nav, can still affect how much parental grant you can receive.

There are also some other rules you should be aware of.

You are not entitled to parental grant when your partner receives parental benefit from NAV.

If your spouse or cohabitant receives parental benefit from NAV, the may affect how must parental grant you may be entitled to. If your spouse/cohabitant receives 100 per cent parental benefit, you will not receive a parental grant in the same period.

It is anexception to the rule if the spouse/cohabitant has graduated parental benefit. If the benefit is between 50 and 99 per cent, you receive 50 per cent parental grant. If the parental benefit is below 50 per cent, it will not affect your parental grant.

See the regulations (Norwegian only)

 

The first nine weeks of the parental grant period are reserved for the mother, while the remainder of the period may be shared between you. You state in the application which period you are apply for parental grant for.

You may only apply for parental grant when the child has been born. The application deadline is within one year of the birth/adoption.

If your cohabitant or spouse will be receiving parental benefits from Nav during the same period, you must write in the application form when you plan for your partner to have parental benefits.

If your partner has not yet received the decision letter from Nav, it is still important that you state the planned start date. This is necessary information when we process your application for parental grant. Also remember that you must forward your partner's decision on parental benefits from Nav.

Female student looking through window glass

What is parental grant?

Parental grant is a grant for those who have children while studying.

How do we calculate the parental grant?

We calculate the size of the parental grant on the basis of whether you were studying full-time or part-time, and if so, which part-time percentage you had, in the four months preceding the birth.

Whether you go on leave after the birth or continue studying does not affect the parental grant.

Students in upper secondary education or primary school with statutory rights as a young person receive a full parental grant even if they are taking part-time education.

Upper secondary education or apprentice

The size of the parental grant depends on whether you receive social security benefits and pension benefits or have an apprentice salary, and on the income of an eventual spouse or cohabitant. If you are receiving transitional benefit, you are only entitled to parental grant if you are above the age of 18, and in this case you will receive a reduced grant amount.

Go to the application

Child grant and additional loan

In addition to the parental grant that you may receive in the initial period after the birth of the child, you receive a child grant when you have children below the age of 16. You may also receive an additional loan when you have children.