What is means testing?

Means testing entails that it is your income and assets that determine the size of your grant.

We assess the size of the grant you can receive against stipulated limits for income and assets. If your income or assets exceed the limits, you are entitled to less grant. Different rules apply to means testing for students in ordinary upper secondary education and apprentices than other students, for example in university and university college education.

Means testing of grants in upper secondary education

If you attend an ordinary upper secondary school, we check your parents’ income if you apply for an income-dependent grant. Parental income has no impact on the grant for course materials or housing grant.

If you have own income, it also has no bearing on your grant, unless you have social security benefits or apprentice salary.

Means testing for students and others who receive basic support

If you are not a student in ordinary upper secondary education, means testing only takes place the year after you received loans and grants, when Lånekassen collects information from the Norwegian tax administration on your annual income and assets. You then receive a decision letter on conversion of loans to grants, or conversion of grants to loans, when we have checked you income and assets.

If you have received a grant because you are a refugee, have reduced functional ability or have children, all or parts of the grant are converted to a loan if you have income or assets exceeding the limits. How much of the grant you are allowed to keep depends on how much above the limit your income or assets are.

Income and assets also determine how much of the basic support that can be converted to a grant. Basic support is the loan all students receive. Initially, up to 40 per cent of the basic support can be converted to a grant if you live away from home and pass your examinations. If your income or assets are above the limits, the amount converted to grant decreases.