Who is considered a refugee?

You are considered a refugee if you have been granted protection (asylum) in Norway. Ukrainians with collective protection can receive a refugee grant.

What is the refugee grant?

The refugee grant is a grant for refugees in preparatory training or upper secondary education. You cannot receive a refugee grant for higher and other education. The refugee grant means that loans you could otherwise have received from Lånekassen are converted to grants instead.

You cannot receive a refugee grant at the same time as you receive introductory benefit (economical support whilst participating in the introductory programme).

You may be eligible for a refugee grant for three years

You may be eligible for a refugee grant for up to three years within a period of six years after the date on which you were granted asylum. The number of years for which you may be eligible for the grant depends on how quickly you start your education after being granted asylum. If you start your education within three years of being granted asylum, you may receive a refugee grant for up to three years, but if you start your education after five years, for example, you may only receive a refugee grant for one year.

The period during which you may receive a refugee grant may be extended from six to eight years if you already have children or have a child during the period in which the refugee grant can normally be granted. This also applies if you are undertaking primary and secondary education before starting upper secondary education. You may then still be eligible for a refugee grant for three years even though you did not start your education before five years had elapsed.

The refugee grant may be converted to a loan

All or parts of the refugee grant may be converted to a loan if you have income, social security benefits or assets above the thresholds set down in the regulations. If you care for children, the child grant will also be reduced or stopped if you or your spouse/cohabitant have income, social security benefits or assets above the thresholds set down in the regulations.

Refugees attending higher and other education cannot receive a refugee grant

You cannot receive a refugee grant to study at a university college or university, or for any other education that is not primary, secondary and upper secondary education. Other education is, for example, folk high school, vocational college, art college or IT college.

However, you can receive loans and grants under the same rules as Norwegian students. Up to 40 per cent of the basic support may be converted to a grant if you do not live together with your parents.