Norway’s famous free tuition policy for all international students has officially ended, but significant developments in 2025 are creating new opportunities for international students seeking affordable higher education.

Current Tuition Fee Status

EU/EEA and Swiss Citizens: Continue to enjoy completely free tuition at all public Norwegian universities. Only a small semester fee of approximately €30-60 is required.

Non-EU/EEA Students: Since autumn 2023, students from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland must pay tuition fees at Norwegian public universities. This policy change led to an 80% decline in international student enrollments.

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Major Policy Shift in June 2025

In a significant reversal, the Norwegian government announced in June 2025 that it would remove the national requirement for full-cost tuition fees. This means:

• Universities can now set their own tuition fee levels for non-EU/EEA students
• Institutions are no longer required to charge full-cost pricing
• Greater flexibility allows universities to adapt fees based on program demand and recruitment needs

Minister Sigrun Aasland stated: “Higher education and research work best when we are connected to the world. Norway is a small country. Therefore, we have to remove unnecessary barriers to international students and researchers”.

Current Tuition Fee Ranges

For non-EU/EEA students, tuition fees typically range from NOK 130,000 to NOK 520,000 per year (approximately €11,000-44,000), depending on the university and program. Some specialized programs can cost even more.

Who Still Studies for Free

Several categories of students remain exempt from tuition fees:

• EU/EEA and Swiss citizens
• Exchange students from partner universities
• Doctoral (PhD) candidates
• Students in Erasmus Mundus programs
• Fulbright scholarship recipients
• Students with permanent residence permits in Norway
• Asylum seekers and those with humanitarian protection
• Students studying through NORPART or NORHED programs

Scholarship and Financial Aid Opportunities

Despite tuition fees, several funding options exist for international students:

Government Scholarships:

• Quota Scheme: 1,100 full scholarships annually for students from developing countries and Eastern Europe
• Norwegian Government Scholarship: One-year funding for advanced students and researchers

University-Specific Programs:

• BI Presidential Scholarship: Full tuition coverage plus living stipend at BI Norwegian Business School
• Various university-specific merit and need-based scholarships

External Funding:

• Erasmus+ grants for exchange students
• NORSTIP scholarships for students from partner universities in developing countries
• Private foundation scholarships and grants

Future Outlook

The 2025 policy changes represent Norway’s attempt to balance institutional funding needs with international competitiveness. Universities are expected to announce their new fee structures in autumn 2025.

Student organizations continue advocating for a complete return to free education for all, viewing the current changes as “a step in the right direction” but not the final goal.

Additional Benefits for PhD Students: The government has also reduced financial requirements for international PhD candidates from NOK 325,000 to NOK 80,000 annually and removed Norwegian language requirements for academic positions.

Conclusion

While Norway no longer offers completely free higher education to all international students, the combination of institutional fee flexibility, robust scholarship programs, and continued free education for EU/EEA students means that studying in Norway affordably is still possible in 2025. Prospective students should research university-specific fee policies and actively pursue scholarship opportunities to make Norwegian education financially accessible.

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