2010 Press release 19 February 2010 Ministry of Education and Research Fees for foreign students to be introduced in autumn term of 2011 Today the Government will present the bill Competing on the basis of quality - tuition fees for foreign students to the Riksdag. "These days, education is a global market. Sweden should compete in this market by offering education of high quality, not by offering a free education," says Minister for Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz. Related About the bill Tuition fees for The fees will apply to students outside the EU/EEA. Universities and higher education institutions will make foreign students their own decisions as to the size of the fee, based on the principle of full cost coverage. In connection with the introduction of fees, the Government proposes that two grant systems be launched. One of these, which will initially consist of SEK 30 million per year, will target students in the 12 countries with which Sweden has long-term development cooperation. The grants will be administered by the Swedish Institute. The second grant system, which in 2011 will consist of SEK 30 million and, as of 2012, of SEK 60 million, will target particularly qualified students. The money will be allocated to universities and higher education institutions, which will then take care of allocating the grants to students. "Foreign students are an asset to Swedish higher education. By no longer offering everyone - including those who are able to pay - free education, we will now be able to give special attention to students from countries with which we have development cooperation and to particularly gifted students. This is a much more efficient way of using Swedish taxpayers' money," says Mr Krantz. The fees will be introduced in the autumn term of 2011. 2009 Press release 21 September 2009 Ministry of Education and Research Major investments in Sweden as a knowledge nation The Budget Bill for 2010 presented by the Government to the Riksdag today includes major investments in higher education. "After a period of economic crisis, it feels very positive to be able to present an additional number of proposals that will strengthen Sweden as a knowledge nation. These are long-term investments - both for the individual and for society," says Minister for Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz. Download Distribution of new higher education places throughout 10 000 new places in higher education the country (pdf 72 kB) The economic crisis has had a defining effect on the world for almost a year. The recession has coincided with large groups of young people leaving upper secondary school. The pressure of applications to higher education is therefore greater than it has been for many years. Basically, it is positive that people choose to educate themselves when there is a recession. Continuing professional development means that conditions for a rapid recovery of the economy are improved. If we are well educated, we will be better equipped when the economic situation turns around. The Government is therefore proposing that higher education be temporarily expanded by 10 000 places in 2010 and 2011. Including financial support to students, the reform will cost around SEK 1 billion a year. More financial support to Sweden's students In the Budget Bill, the Government proposes raising financial support to students. From 1 January 2010, financial support to students will be raised by some SEK 430 a month - SEK 40 as a grant, and SEK 390 as a loan. Financial support to students, like other support systems, is linked to the price base amount, which will be reduced at the beginning of next year for the first time for a number of years. The Government's proposal for increased study loans and an adjustment of the study grant will mean that a student who has full financial support will have SEK 350 more to spend every month, despite the weak price trend. From 1 January 2011, the income ceiling for students will also be raised by some SEK 30 000. The Government's proposal means that the income ceiling is expected to rise from the current SEK 107 000 to SEK 136 400 per calendar year for a full-time student. Tuition fees for foreign students to be introduced from 2011 The Government proposes that foreign students wishing to study in Sweden should pay fees. The proposal means that foreign students (from countries outside the European Economic Area) will pay for their studies starting in the autumn term of 2011. The universities and higher education institutions themselves will decide how much to charge. The introduction of fees will be combined with a grant system. The Government intends to present a special bill containing all the details later on in the autumn. Improved quality in higher education The Government wants to use the system for allocating resources to create improved quality in higher education. At present, universities and other higher education institutions receive government appropriations based on how many students they have and on how many students complete their courses. The Government wants this resource allocation system to be supplemented, with a part of it allocating resources according to evaluations of the quality of courses, and will submit such a proposal to the Riksdag during the autumn. More places for medical training There is a great need for doctors in Sweden. Expanding medical training is therefore important. This expansion must be made responsibly to ensure high standards of training. In this year's Budget Bill, the Government proposes a further increase of 30 new entrant places in medical training in 2010. The expansion will involve 15 new entrant places for medical students at Linköping University and the same number at Uppsala University. With the proposed increase, medical training will expand by a total of 264 new entrant places on an annual basis during the Government's term of office. This means that medical training will have expanded by 26 per cent during the same period. Contact Eva-Marie Byberg Press Secretary to Tobias Krantz +46 8 405 38 77 +46 70 772 74 47 Press release 11 September 2009 Ministry of Education and Research Tuition fees for foreign students to be introduced from 2011 In the 2010 Budget Bill, the Government proposes that foreign students wishing to study in Sweden should pay fees. In the 2010 Budget Bill, the Government proposes that foreign students wishing to study in Sweden should pay fees. "Sweden is currently one of few countries in the world that does not charge foreign students fees. Swedish students who wish to study abroad have to pay. It is not reasonable to expect Swedish taxpayers to sponsor foreign students' studies. This undermines the financing of Sweden's higher education institutions," says Minister for Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz. The proposal means that foreign students (from countries outside the European Economic Area) will pay for their studies starting in the autumn term of 2011. The universities and higher education institutions themselves will decide how much to charge. "Education has become a global market. Students can choose between higher education institutions the world over. I think that Sweden should compete in this market by having higher education institutions of high quality, not by offering a free education," says Mr Krantz. The introduction of fees will be combined with a grant system. The Government intends to present a special bill later on in the autumn with all the details. Press release 17 June 2009 Ministry of Education and Research Tobias Krantz - new Minister for Higher Education and Research Today, Tobias Krantz is appointed as the new Minister for Higher Education and Research. Dr Krantz is an MP for the liberal party of Sweden, Folkpartiet liberalerna, and holds a Ph.D in political science. - It is crucial that Sweden's universities and colleges can offer a high class education, both when it comes to tuition and academic research. I want to continue working on the reforms that already have been initiated - independent universities, increased financial support to academic research and a stronger emphasis on Download quality, are all very important issues. Today's research is tomorrow's welfare, says Tobias Krantz. Tobias Krantz CV (pdf 61 kB) - I am pleased that Tobias Krantz has accepted to enter office as a member of the cabinet. Dr Krantz has a solid background in the academic world, and he is a very competent and knowledgeable politician that is passionate about creating an education system characterized both by overall quality and excellence within narrower fields, says Jan Björklund, Minister for Education. Facts: Since 2002 Tobias Krantz is a member of the Swedish parliament, and he holds a Ph.D from Uppsala University. He has acquired wide-ranging political experience in political bodies such as the Committee of Constitutions and the Committee on Health and Welfare, and he is also one of the persons behind the liberal party's policy programme on higher education. Dr Krantz was born in 1971, grew up in Bankeryd outside Jönköping and is married with one child. Contact Eva-Marie Byberg Press Secretary +46 8 405 38 77 +46 70 772 74 47 email to Eva-Marie Byberg.