If you are a pupil or student in primary or lower secondary school, upper secondary or are an apprentice, you may receive more grant and loan when you have children.
In addition to the grant for course materials, you may receive a child grant, housing grant and income-dependent grant when you have own children. You may also receive an additional loan if you are above the age of 18.
Requirements
The children must live with you for at least 40 per cent of the time in order for you to be entitled to more grants and loans.
Child grant
The child grant is intended to cover the extra costs you incur when you have children.
The rate for 2024–2025 is NOK 2,028 per month per child. If you have more than two children, the rate is NOK 1,319 for child three and four.
Housing grant
When you have children, you receive a housing grant whether you live alone, with a spouse/cohabitant or with your parents. You are not entitled to a housing grant if you also receive a transitional benefit or other benefits to cover subsistence. If you receive an apprenticeship salary, the grant will be means tested against it.
The housing grant is NOK 6,677 per month.
Income-dependent grant
For applicants without children the income-dependent grant is means tested against the parents’ income. That means that the parents' income can affect how much the grant will be. However, when you yourself have children, this grant is means tested against your own income. If you have social security benefits, income and assets below the limits, you are entitled to an income-dependent grant.
Social security benefits and income affect how much you can get
The child grant and the income-dependent grant are reduced if you receive social security benefits or have other income, for benefit for single parent or apprentice salary. Every NOK 1000 you receive in social security benefit or other income will reduce the grant by NOK 600.
If you have a spouse or cohabitant, we also check his or her income. If your spouse or cohabitant earns more than NOK 40,920 before tax per month, you receive a smaller child grant.
Additional loan
You may receive up to NOK 557,940 per year in additional loan when you are above the age of 18 and have children, with an upward limit of NOK 115,880 for the years in which you receive loans. You may yourself choose how many years you wish to distribute this amount across.
You may receive this loan if you are an apprentice or attending upper secondary education, but not if you are attending primary or lower secondary education.
The loan must be repaid when you have completed your eduction.
How to apply
There is no separate application for these loans and grants. When you apply for a normal grant and loan, Lånekassen automatically considers whether you may be eligible for a child grant and housing grant. However, you must choose yourself whether you also want to apply for an additional loan.
You are not required to provide your spouse’s or cohabitant’s income when you apply, as we check this.