08 - Denmark - Financial support for students
The Danish State Education Grant and Loan Scheme Authority distribute
grants and loans to the students. Everyone at the age of 18 and above
that age is entitled to this form of financial support. There is also
the possibility of taking a student loan, which should be paid back in
rates once the student finishes his education.
In higher
education, student grants are awarded by means of a voucher system. As
a point of departure, all students enrolled in higher education are
given 70 vouchers where one voucher equals one month of study. When a
student is admitted to a higher education programme, he is awarded
vouchers corresponding to the officially stipulated time of study + 12
months within the above 70 vouchers.
Students admitted to
programmes of an officially stipulated duration of more than 58 months
will however get more than 70 vouchers, as they are also awarded
vouchers for the officially stipulated time + 12 months (i.e. medicine
and veterinarian programmes).
If a student changes over from one
study programme to another, he will also receive a student grant for
the new programme provided that he or she has any of the 70 initially
awarded vouchers left to spend.
Students, who have a job next to
their studies, may earn a certain maximum, the so-called "free amount",
and still uphold their grant. If they know that they will have a bigger
income than the "free amount", they may save their vouchers for later
use.
Students enrolled in higher education may get a discount of
the price of bus and train cards. It is a condition that the student is
eligible for state education grants and loans, or is taking part in
paid practical training as part of the programme. The discount applies
to bus and train cards in Denmark as well as to bus and train cards
over the Danish border to and from EU and EEF countries.
The
universities offer a number of PhD’s every year. Similar
PhD-scholarships are offered by the research councils and other public
institutions and private foundations - it will however often be in
connection with major research projects and for specific research
assignments. If a PhD-scholarship is awarded, it will normally also
include payment of the tuition fee for the university. To the above
scholarships are typically attached a work obligation of 6 months’
duration, distributed over the three years.
In 2005 was the cost
for the education grant and loan scheme about 12.3 billion DKK. About
314.000 students received 10 billion DKK as education grants (81.3%).
The rest was received as loans. 104,800 of the students receiving loans
were taking a long-cycle higher education.
Eurydice - the information network on education in Europe
Date: 2009