Coronavirus

Information on the various measures which apply in connection with the coronavirus for pupils, students and anyone repaying a student loan.

The conversion of any additional loans will be undertaken as planned during the spring

During the spring of 2020, students and pupils who lost income due to the coronavirus pandemic were offered additional loans. A percentage of these loans can be converted into grants.

NOK 8,000 of an additional loan can be converted into a grant

Students and pupils who are able to provide documentary proof of the fact that their income has dropped due to the coronavirus situation for all or part of the period between 1 March and 15 June 2020, can have NOK 8,000 of their additional loan converted into a grant at a later date.

Normally only students who live away from home can have their loans converted into grants. This requirement does not apply to additional loans, and you can therefore have NOK 8,000 of your additional loan converted into a grant regardless of whether or not you lived away from home or at home with your parents during this period.

You do not need to submit any documentation now, but we may ask you to do so at a later date. This could include, for example, documentation relating to furlough, dismissal, salary and confirmation of amended working hours.

What is regarded as being a drop in income?

If, for example, you were laid off, received fewer shifts than previously agreed, or were dismissed from a paid part-time job because of the coronavirus situation, you could apply for an additional loan. The decisive factor is that you earnt less than planned between 1 March and 15 June 2020 due to the coronavirus situation.

You are not required to have lost all your income between 1 March and 15 June 2020. You could apply for the loan if you suffered a drop in income for just part of that period.

You are not required to submit any documentation about your income now

You should do so after you have received your decision about conversion for 2020, and only if your income has exceeded the threshold.

Exceptions to the income threshold in 2020

If you have received extra income for work that is directly related to the coronavirus epidemic, you can have your loan converted into a grant, even if you have earned more than Lånekassen’s income threshold.

There is a limit to how much you can earn before your grant can be reduced, or for not having part of your loan converted into a grant.

The exemption rule means that Lånekassen will disregard income that is above the threshold between 1 March and 31 December 2020, if such is payment for work directly related to the coronavirus pandemic. This means that you can earn over the threshold for 2020 during this period, and still have your loan converted into a grant. If you have other income that is not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic during the same period, the exception will not apply to such income.

This exception only applies to certain groups

The government has determined that this exemption shall apply to students in higher and other education in Norway and abroad:

students in Norway working in the healthcare sector
students abroad, both those working in the healthcare sector in Norway and those who may be working in the country in which they are studying
police students who sign up to work for the police or emergency services
students who are ordered to serve in the Home Guard or Civil Defence Corps

Furthermore, students who have children will not receive a reduction in their childcare grant on the basis of additional income from work directly related to the coronavirus pandemic which has been carried out by their spouse or partner. This exception also applies between 1 March and 31 December 2020. If your partner or spouse has other income that is not directly related to the coronavirus pandemic during the same period, the exception will not apply to such income.

You must prove that the exception applies to you

When assessing whether or not you are entitled to a grant for the calendar year of 2020, we will not be checking to see how much your 2020 income was until the summer of 2021. This means that you should wait until then to submit documentation showing that you or your partner/spouse have had income directly related to the coronavirus pandemic. If your income did not exceed the threshold, you do not need to submit anything.

Income threshold for 2020

The threshold is NOK 188,509 when you receive support for more than seven months in 2020, and NOK 471,270 when you receive support for seven months or less in 2020.

The wealth and social security benefit thresholds still apply

No exceptions have been made to the thresholds which apply to how much wealth or social security benefit you can have before your grant is reduced. These thresholds still apply to students who could be exempt from the income threshold due to work directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.

Students abroad

All pupils who are living at home with their parents during the autumn of 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic will be treated as though they have been living away from home during the whole autumn semester.

Are you living at home during the autumn semester due to the coronavirus pandemic?

All pupils and students who were awarded loans and grants because they were living away from home, but who had to move back home to their parents due to the coronavirus pandemic during the spring of 2020, are being treated as though they had been living away from home for the remainder of the semester.

The same exemption rules will also apply to autumn 2020 and to the spring of 2021, but only for students living abroad.

Remember to stop your direct debit payments

If you are granted deferral of your bill payments, please remember to stop your direct debit payments.

Additional payment deferrals

You can defer bills until the end of 2020 without using your fixed quota of 36 deferrals.

Anyone can apply for deferred payment of their bills

You apply for payment deferral on Your Pages, and you do not need to explain why you are applying or submitting documentation.

This also applies if you have used up your 36 payment deferrals, or if your payment deferral application has been rejected because you have already used up your 36 deferrals.

Customers with terminated loans are also eligible for payment deferrals. Read more about terminated loans here.

Applies to bills between March and December 2020

These additional deferrals apply to bills for the period between March and December 2020, but you can only apply for the deferral of bills if you have not paid them.

You will not be eating into your 36 regular payment deferrals during the period between March and December 2020

If you have applied for deferral of any of your deadlines during the period between March and December 2020, these additional deferrals will also apply to you – and you will not be "eating into" your 36 deferrals by applying.

You will pay more interest when you defer payment

When you defer a payment, we will extend your repayment time. As a result, you must pay more interest overall than you would have done if you had not deferred payment. If you defer one bill, we will extend the repayment period by one month. If you postpone two bills, we will extend it by two months, and so on.

Your payment schedule will be updated on Your Pages each time you are granted a deferral.