In accordance to the Norwegian Quota programme Ukrainian and Belarusian students may apply for scholarships to obtain a university degree within a wide variety of subjects in 47 Norwegian universities and university colleges. The goal of the Quota Programme is to give students relevant education that would also benefit their home countries when they return after graduation.
11/10/2006 :: Each year the programme sponsors 300 students from Central and Eastern Europe, as well as 800 students from the developing world. The students receive the same amount of money as a Norwegian student would do in an equivalent educational programme. The loan is waived when the student leaves the country after completing the course of study. The programme normally includes courses at Master and PhD level, in addition to certain professional degrees. The teaching language is either Norwegian or English.
Who can apply?
The Quota Programme is available for nationals over the age of 18 from, among other countries, Ukraine and Belarus. All candidates should have secondary school certificates plus two years of higher education from their home country, but there are some exceptions for certain professional educational courses.
How to apply?
The applications are to be sent directly to the institutions of higher education that is part of the Quota Programme. Application forms are available on the web-sites of the universities and university colleges. The deadline for applying for the Quota Programme is 1 December every year, although some courses and educational programmes may have other deadlines. Please contact the International Office at the university/college to which you want to apply.
The Letter of Admission is normally sent to the candidate by 15 April. The students will also receive relevant practical information about studying in Norway.
Study permit
After receiving a Letter of Admission the student applies for a study permit at the Norwegian Embassy in Kiev. The procedures for this application are explained at the Embassy’s web-site (norway.com.ua).
Financial support
The financial support to the Quota Programme students is managed by the State Educational Loan Fund (Statens lånekasse). Each student receives the same amount of money as a Norwegian student would do in an equivalent educational programme. About 30% of the amount is given as a grant and 70% as a loan but is waived when the student leaves the country after completing the course of study.
Travelling expenses for entry into Norway can be reimbursed. Students can apply for one annual home visit if the educational programme lasts more than one year, as well as financial support for travelling expenses for field work during the course of study. When the student returns home within 3 months after finishing the course, the cost of travelling home is covered by the State Educational Loan Fund. Married quota students will also receive extra financial support for their spouse /children if they have a residence permit in Norway. All the quota students and their family members are insured under the Norwegian Social Security System (Folketrygden).
As a rule, the student will usually receive financial support for a period of 4 years for one study programme or for a combination of two study programmes, for instance, one year for a master degree and three years for a PhD degree. Institutions usually do not enrol quota students for professional studies lasting more than 4 years, such as dentists or doctors.
One of the main objectives of the quota programme is that students should return home after completing the course of study. The loan will then be waived when the student leaves Norway and returns to his/her home country. If the student remains in Norway or resides in a country other than Norway that is not the home country, the loan must be repaid in the same way as Norwegian students are required to do. This also applies to students who return to Norway within 10 years after the loan had been waived.
For more information, visit http://www.siu.no/.
Norwegian Institutions cooperating with Ukrainian and Belarusian counterparts
Sevastopol National Technical University (Ukraine)
Tavricheskiy National University, Simferopol (Ukraine)
- Sogn og Fjordane University College
Zaporizhzhya State University (Ukraine)
- Tromsø University College
Odessa State "A.V. Nezhdanova" Conservatoire (Ukraine)
Belarusian State Academy of Music (Minsk)
Belarusian State University (Minsk)