NORWAY: Foreign students flock to free universities

Norwegian colleges and universities are reporting an increased application rate from foreign students, as Norway has become the only country in Europe to continue offering tuition-free higher education to all, regardless of country of origin, reports News in English.

With a number of top Norwegian universities reporting large increases in applicants from overseas, the secretary general of the Universities and Colleges Council, Ola Stave, fears growing administrative challenges. The Minister for Research and Higher Education, Tora Aasland, has promised to look at what the government can do to support the sector, including the possibility of a national admissions office for masters studies applications.

Evidence shows that the University of Oslo has seen a 60% increase in self-financing international applicants to masters programmes, with Trondheim's Norwegian University of Science and Technology reporting a 45% growth.
Full report on the News in English site