Studiestöd för utbildning på yrkeshögskola, högskola och universitet

To increase your chances of finding a job, you can study at a university or vocational university. If you are new to Sweden and have a profession where new personnel is greatly sought after, there are even more opportunities. Here you will find out how you can finance your studies.

Study with student aid

Student aid is grants and loans for studies from CSN. These may include studies in adult education, folk high schools, universities or vocational universities, as well as for certain courses abroad. You can apply for student aid on the CSN website, where you can also read more about what regulations apply to you.

CSN.se - Student finance

Student finance for transition and retraining

Student finance for transition and retraining from the CSN (Swedish National Board of Student Aid) is for those who are working or have recently become unemployed and wish to study to improve their skills and become more attractive in the labour market.

Student finance for transition and retraining consists of a grant of up to 80 per cent of your pay, up to a certain maximum amount. You can supplement the grant with a loan if you wish. To receive student finance for transition and retraining, you must fulfil certain conditions; for example, you must have worked at least 12 of the last 24 months before applying for support from the CSN.

CSN – Student finance for transition and retraining (csn.se)

Study with support from the Swedish Public Employment Service

In some cases, you can receive financial support from the Swedish Public Employment Service to study at universities or vocational universities. This applies if you are enrolled in the Job and Development Programme or in the Introduction Programme.

If you take part in the job and development guarantee programme, you are able to claim financial support from the Public Employment Service in order to study in higher vocational education, at institutes of higher education and in post-secondary study programmes at folk high schools. We first make an assessment of whether the programme is needed to increase your chances of getting a job. You then apply for the programme yourself. You can study for a total of 12 months full time with financial support from us.

Within the Introduction Programme, you can study with financial support through establishment allowance at a university or vocational university. You need to have a completed upper-secondary education. Sometimes you also need to have taken certain upper-secondary courses to get into specific courses or programmes. You often also need to have sufficient knowledge of Swedish and English. If you want to continue your studies after the Introduction Programme, you have the opportunity to apply for student aid from CSN.

For you who is new in Sweden

If you are new in Sweden and already have a profession or education from your home country, there may be a faster way into the labour market.

If you have grades from a university or vocational university from your home country, you should submit them to the Swedish Council for Higher Education (UHR). UHR makes an assessment of your education and gives you a statement in response. You can also use their digital assessment service to see what your education corresponds to in Sweden. If you have worked in health professions, send your grades to the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare. If you are a teacher or a preschool teacher, you can apply for a teacher registration from the Swedish National Agency for Education.

UHR.se - recognition for foreign qualifications

Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare on registration (socialstyrelsen.se)

Swedish National Agency for Education on teacher registration (skolverket.se)