The public welfare system covers the classes at the folk high schools, but the students must pay for their room and board, school trips and other expenses themselves. This is all included in the price of a school year.
You pay from NOK 96,000 a year to attend a folk high school. It is the major subject that you select that affects the cost the most. The cost also varies depending on what study trip you go on. On average, a folk high school year costs NOK 132,649.
Some schools also offer elective and voluntary study trips, which are not included in the price. During such travels, meals may also be an additional cost.
If you are accepted to a folk high school, you will have a few weeks to consider the offer and pay a registration fee (approximately NOK 2500).
You will also need pocket money, funds to cover the cost of any travel during holidays/long weekends, and insurance (if you do not already have it).
Folk high schools receive state funding and the owners of the schools are not permitted to make a profit.
Some foreign applicants must pay a fee to the school before applying for a residence permit.
The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) requires that applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA make a security deposit (a “good faith payment”) in the school’s bank account before processing an application for a residence permit. This money will be refunded if the application is rejected.
Citizens of the Nordic countries do not need a residence permit. Citizens from EU countries don’t need to apply for a Norwegian residence permit in advance, but local police must be notified when a student takes up residence in the area.
In Norway, there are two types of identification numbers: National identity numbers (often called personal identity numbers) and D numbers. You get a national identity number if you live or settle in Norway, whereas a D number is a temporary identification number.
If you plan to stay in Norway for more than six months you should register with the National Registry so that you can be assigned an 11-digit national identity number (your date of birth plus a 5 digit personal number). If you are an EU/EEA national, you must make an appointment with the local tax assessment office (“Likningskontor”) to get your identity number.
Read more about national identity numbers on the UDI website by clicking here
Students from the Nordic countries and students who plan to stay in Norway for less than six months must apply for a D-number – a temporary number. This number may be used to open a bank account, rent a place to live, and pay taxes.
Read more about D numbers on the UDI website by clicking here
If you are from a country outside of the EU/EEA, you will automatically receive a national identity number or a D number by post. Be aware that you will still need to register with the police to get your residence card. Among other things, you need this number to open a bank account or obtain a student card.
In order to open a bank account in a Norwegian bank, you will need a Norwegian identity number. You can choose between local or regional banks, or banks with branches all over Norway. Some banks are also strictly online banks, with no physical branches. Norwegian banks have advanced solutions for online banking, allowing you to administrate your accounts, pay bills and transfer money online. Foreign credit cards are widely accepted in Norway and cash withdrawals are readily available.
Nordic students can apply to Norwegian folk high schools on an equal footing with Norwegian students. Read more about this below.
Students from Sweden, Finland and the Faroe Islands apply to the educational authorities in their own countries for support to attend a folk high school in Norway. Students from Åland apply to the Government of Åland for support.
Danish students (including Faroese and Greenlandic ones) can apply for a scholarship via the Nordic Higher Education Scholarship to attend folk high school in another Nordic country.
Read more about the scholarship here
Students from Iceland can apply for scholarships through the Norden Association. Contact our office for an application form and further information. The application deadlines are July 1st and December 1st.