SWEDEN: Tuition fees for foreigners - and scholarships

The government has outlined its plans to introduce tuition and application fees for students from non-EU-EEA countries from the 2011-2012 academic year.

In presenting the bill to parliament, the government also announced the fees would be supplemented by new scholarships schemes, one of which will be available to students from countries where Sweden is already involved with long-term development projects

In a release published on the Studyinsweden.se website, the government says that until now, Sweden has been one of the few countries in Europe that has not charged any types of fees. All students regardless of nationality have been funded by Swedish taxpayers.

"Global competition for talent is increasing sharply and the government wants Swedish universities to compete on equal terms with universities in other countries," the release states. "In the last decade, the number of foreign students has more than trebled, totalling 36,000 in 2008-09. The government now wants to reallocate some of this money to award higher education institutions that show particular excellence."

Students from other EU or EEA countries, as well as Switzerland and exchange students, will be exempt from fees.

"As non-EU-EEA students add value to the Swedish educational system and are an attractive talent base, the government will introduce two scholarship programmes," the release states.

"Starting in 2011, one of the programmes will be endowed with SEK30 million (US$4.16 million) per year and is aimed at students from countries with which Sweden already has long-term development cooperations. These are Bangladesh, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.

"Another scholarship programme will be administered by universities directly and is open to all students from outside the EU-EEA. The budget will be SEK30 million for 2011 and will be increased to SEK60 million for 2012."

The release says this will give qualified students who lack the appropriate funding continuing opportunities to study in Sweden. Additionally, foreign students subject to fees would be fully insured through the national health care system.

The government also recently introduced more liberal labour migration laws that make it easier to move to Sweden for work, or to stay after studies. Students who have a job when their student permit expires can change this into a work permit. Also, there is no set quota for work permits for foreign citizens.