Studying abroad

One of the first things you should do when you have received a final offer of admission from your educational institution is to apply for support from The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. The student loan covers tuition fees and living and accommodation expenses.

What it costs to study abroad varies depending on which school you will attend and which country you will study in. It is therefore wise to draw up a budget.

Remember also to check whether you need a student visa to study in the country you will be travelling to. Check with your school or with ANSA. In the EU/EEA you usually do not need a student visa.

Remember your passport! It may be wise to take a copy of your passport in case it is stolen or you lose it.

Draw up a budget for the months ahead. This will give you a good overview of what you have left over each month, as well as how much you should perhaps save before you travel. Here are some points that are worth looking at.

• How much will you receive in student loans and grants?
• Do you need to work on the side, or do you perhaps have saved funds?
• What expenses do you have?
• How much does the trip cost you
• What does the school cost
• What do you receive in rent and or housing expenses

It is always wise to save. Save a fixed amount each month and it becomes easier to get it done. When you have set up a budget and have an overview of income and expenses, it is wise to see if there are any costs you can cut.

Try to become more price-conscious and make small changes to save a bit of money. You can deposit this into a Savings account.

Book your flight ticket well in advance so that you can get a cheaper ticket. This also applies when you need to travel home and possibly on holiday. Remember that you receive travel allowance from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund.

If you have Ung Mastercard card, you can collect EuroBonus points on everything you buy with Mastercard Upgrade. You can use EuroBonus points to book flight tickets.

Remember that you must save up for a deposit to be able to rent accommodation. Check the rules regarding living where you will be studying. If you need to rent, it is wise to rent together with others.

If you do not know anyone where you will be studying, you can ask the school whether there are others from Norway who have applied to the same school. You can also contact the local ANSA representative.

Regarding furnishing the flat, garage sales are very popular abroad. Also check websites for free and cheap furniture.

It is important to be insured.

With the European Health Insurance Card, you are entitled to necessary medical treatment in EEA countries and Switzerland, but you must have private insurance to have medical treatment covered in other parts of the world.

To have costs covered as a result of cancellation or delays, material damage or loss of luggage, you must have private insurance regardless of country. We recommend that you have travel insurance that applies for the entire period you are abroad; ordinary travel insurance usually lasts for up to 60 days.

You should also have home contents and accident insurance so that your possessions are secured and you are covered in the event of an accident.

School fees must be paid in local currency and the school fees you receive are currency-adjusted. Therefore, allow for the fact that the exchange rate can fluctuate.

Support for school fees is paid out twice a year and is therefore also currency-adjusted twice a year. Read more about school fees at Lånekassen.

Check whether you can apply for support beyond Lånekassen. UNIFOR is the Administrative Foundation for funds and legacies. UNIFOR administers and manages approximately 230 funds and legacies with charitable purposes.

In Legathåndboken (Norwegian grants handbook) On nearly 600 pages you will find everything about approximately 2,300 scholarships, grants, funds and other support schemes.

Also check scholarship schemes at ANSA's pages.