Ukraine / NORWAY changes admission rules for refugees who want to study
It will now be easier for refugees to be admitted to higher education in Norway. As a temporary arrangement, displaced people without a Higher Education Entrance Qualification may apply for a place at a higher education institution.
"The war in Ukraine is creating large numbers of displaced people. Some of those who have come to Norway are of an age where they would like to start or continue studying at a university, university college or tertiary vocational college, but not all meet the requirements. We are therefore temporarily changing the admission criteria in the autumn,' says State Secretary Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel.
These are the changes in the Regulations concerning Admission to Higher Education (opptaksforskriften) and the Regulations concerning Tertiary Vocational Education (fagskoleforskriften):
Universities, university colleges and tertiary vocational colleges can, as a temporary measure for the academic year 2022-2023, grant dispensation from the requirement for a Higher Education Entrance Qualification for those with a residence permit under Chapter 4 of the Immigration Act (utlendingsloven), i.e. foreign nationals in need of protection (asylum).
The educational institutions must assess each applicant individually in relation to the study programmes they can offer. In order to be admitted, the applicant must be considered competent to complete the relevant study programme.
The changes apply with immediate effect.
In order to ensure that refugees have access to a good standard of higher education, the government has granted additional funding to universities and university colleges corresponding to 1000 new student places from the autumn of 2022. The educational institutions have shown a strong commitment to accommodating refugees. Refugees must apply through the local admissions procedure, and educational institutions that have places will provide information about this on their website.
The Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills has now published information on its website about study options for people who are displaced as a result of the war in Ukraine. The website also provides links to the educational institutions' websites.