Step by step process of applying and studying in Norway for free

Apart from Germany, Norway also offers free tuition in their Universities. Here is a stepwise process of applying and studying in Norway for free! So this is for you if you have some free-time for free-education abroad!!!

Study in Norway

Norway is also a good alternative for free tuition since it is now more difficult to obtain a German student visa.

Here are the topics I will cover:
A.) Admission requirements
B.) Applying to the University
C.) Visa application
D.) Possible Scholarships and funding alternative

A.) Admission requirements

Generally, admission is competitive in Norway due to low number or universities and high demand. Therefore, excellent qualifications are required.

Bachelor degree: Senior School Certificate + 1 year university education or Alevel certificate

Master degree: Bachelor degree with good grades (atleast second class upper is preffered)

PhD degree: Doctoral and postdoctoral admission in Norway require you to obtain funding first. I covered some of the details here: How do I get full scholarship to do PhD in Germany/Sweden/Finland/Denmark?

Other requirements: The good thing is that English proficiency tests are not required for Norwegian Universities if you studied already in English. Some Universities may also require a motivational letter or CV

B.) Applying to the University

Top Universities offering English programs include:

Norwegian University of Life Sciences
University of Oslo
University of Bergen
University of Tromsø

You can find other Universities here: Where Can I Study

Applications in Norway is handled by each institution, and the different institutions may have different requirements and deadlines. The good thing is that all application documents can be submitted online which is definitely less stressful and costs nothing. Make sure you obtain all necessary information about the course requirements, documentation and deadlines for the different study programmes and institutions.

See here for all courses in engish and their specific requirments: find your study program

Usually, the deadline for International students to apply for university courses in Norway is:
The application portal opens 15 October
The application deadline is 1 December

It is better if you apply early. So dont wait till the deadline.

C.) Visa application

You need to apply for visa at the relevant embassy. Visa requirments include:

1.)You must pay an application fee of about 4900 NOK or 180k Naira or 437 Euro.

2.)You must have admission letter from a university college or university in Norway.

3.)You must have proof of accomodation

4.)You must have enough money to live on, at least NOK 121 220 or 4.5million Naira or 10800 Euro per year. You do not have to necessarily open a Norwegian bank account. You may use the bank account of the University.

D.) Possible Scholarships and funding alternative

Cost of living in Norway is one of the highest in the world. 4.5million Naira is a lot of money but that is the only way the Norwegian govt is sure that you can survive. However, there are some alternatives you can explore:

1.) If you are granted a student visa, you are automatically also granted permission to work part-time for up to 20 hours per week in addition to your studies and full-time during holidays. Even though you can do student jobs, you still need to show proof that you have the money.

You can loan the money from your beneficiaries or get a student loan from a bank. Then get prepared to do student jobs to survive. The disadvantage of this is that it distracts you and might affect your studies. However, it is still a viable pathway.

2.) You can also use a sponsor guarantee letter and sponsor’s recent official bank statement. The sponsor should be aware that the required amount must be available as soon as the applicant is admitted.

3.) Find a scholarship

Scholarship options in Norway are very limited. I would like to emphasize that studying in Norway without paying tuition is already a form of partial scholarship which worths about 4million Naira. So getting admitted is already scholarship.

Some scholarship grants are available but not guaranteed and only after admission/enrollment. This means you still need to provide a bank statement for your visa but atleast you have access to palliatives during your study
See more details here: Financial support for foreign students

So this is a summary of the process
Apply for admission -> Receive admission offer –> Get a sponsor or scholarship or fund your account –> Apply for visa – >Prepare to come to Norway

All the best!!!

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