Upper secondary school without statutory rights as a young person

Here you can find information on what you can receive in loans and grants, and how much you can earn before you lose the grant.

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High school student girl with cell phone. Photo.

You can receive loans and grants

If you are attending upper secondary school without statutory rights as a young person, you receive loans and grants according to the rules for university and university college education.

When you no longer have statutory rights as a young person, you don’t receive a grant in the same manner as ordinary upper secondary education, but you take out a loan.

The loan is called basic support and up to 40 per cent of this may be converted to a grant if you

  • live away from your parents
  • complete your educational programme
  • have income and assets below the limits

If you are required to pay tuition fees, you can receive a loan for tuition fees.

Are you sitting an external examination in a subject you have previously passed (retaking a subject)?

Loans for these subjects cannot be converted to grants. This also applies if you initially took the subjects at ordinary upper secondary school (with statutory rights as a young person).

You can receive support to take a total of 480 credits

 There is a limit to how long you can receive support for. This limit applies to the qualifications you take after completing upper secondary education with statutory rights as a young person.

You can receive support to take a total of 480 credits or equivalent. This is equivalent to eight years of full-time studies. Support for upper secondary education without statutory rights as a young person counts towards how much support you can receive in total.

Application deadlines

You must have a study place before applying, and you may apply no earlier then mid-May. The final deadline for applying is

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

Assessment time

Most applications are processed within 24 hours, but more complex cases can take a long time to process. It is a good idea to apply as soon as you have been given a school place.

Before we can transfer the money, your school must let us know that you are going there. Once we have been notified by your school, it may take a few days before you have the money in your account.

You have to pay when you no longer get a loan or study part-time 

If you get a loan for full-time education, you will not receive interest on the loan and you do not have to pay installments. When you no longer receive a student loan or go from full- to part-time studies, interest will accrue on the loan and you must start repayments.

It will take around seven months from the last time you received a student loan from us until you receive the first bill.

To the application

Are you above the age of 30?

You can apply for up to
NOK 55,820
in additional loans per year

You can borrow up to NOK 55,820 extra per year if you are a full-time student. If you are a part-time student, the maximum amount you are offered to borrow is reduced. You may borrow up to NOK 111,640 in total, and you may choose how many years you want to allocate the loan across. You apply for the loan on the same form as for ordinary loans and grants.

The loan may not be combined with additional loans for those with children.

Go to additional loan.

 

Do you have reduced functional ability?

You may apply for an
extra grant
if you are unable to work besides your studies

If you have reduced functional ability that prevents you from working beside your studies, you may be eligible for an additional grant of NOK 4,280 per month. If you are a part-time student, you get a smaller amount.

You may also receive grants and loans during summer if you are unable to work during the summer holiday. A specialist must confirm that you have reduced functional ability.
You apply for loans and grants due to disability on a separate form.

Read more about grants for people with reduced functional ability

Do you have children?

You may receive extra
loans and grants
if you have or get children

If you have children while studying, you may be entitled to additional loans and grants.

Parental grant in the event of birth or adoption

If you have children while studying, your basic support and additional loan for school fees may be converted to a grant for up to 49 weeks.

Child grant

If you have children below the age of 16, you may qualify for an additional grant. If you have several children, you receive more in grants. The child grant is means tested, which means that the amount is reduced if the family has income or assets in excess of the limits stipulated in the regulations. If you are a part-time student, you also get a smaller amount.

Additional loans

You may also borrow NOK 55,820 extra per year when you have children below the age of 16, with an upward limit of NOK 111,640 in total. Income and assets have no impact on whether you can receive an additional loan. If you are a part-time student, you will be offered a loan with a smaller amount.

Read about children and childbirth

Are you a refugee?
Read about refugee grants
The income limit is
205 579
for 2023

How much may I earn?

To receive a full grant, you may not earn more than NOK 205,579 in 2023, if you receive grants and loans for the full year.

In order to convert loans to grants, you must complete the courses you received loans and grants to take.

In addition to completing your educational programme, there is also a requirement of not earning too much. Note that the income limits apply for the calendar year, not the academic year. If you receive support for only one semester, the limit is higher.

You don’t lose the entire grant if you have income slightly over the limit, but we reduce it gradually according to the size of your income.

We also take social security benefits and assets into account

Assets and social security benefits may also affect how much of the basic support that may be converted to a grant.

Income and assets

When unexpected things happen

When something happens in your life or in your studies, it may impact what you are entitled to receive from Lånekassen, either now or later.

Related regulations