Students who lose their jobs are guaranteed student support
The government extends the deadline to apply for student aid to save students who lose income. SV thinks students should be secured scholarships instead of loans.
The measure to postpone the deadline for applications from March 15 to April 15 will secure loans and grants to students who have been based on income from jobs that they are now losing.
– “This is one of the measures the students themselves have demanded, and we have listened to that. At the same time, I would like to emphasize that I will come back with more measures to help the students in a short time,” says Research and Higher Education Minister Henrik Asheim Asheim (H).
The first step is that students who have not taken up loans and grants this semester can now still apply for funding. In addition, those who have applied for less than the maximum amount can reapply if they wish to increase the amount, the Ministry of Education and Research writes in a press release.
The Loan Fund is working on technical solutions to make it possible to apply from next week.
Student organization satisfied
The Norwegian Student Organization (NSO) is very pleased that the government has extended the grant and loan deadline.
– “It will ensure that students who have not applied for student aid this semester, because they have managed to earn a part-time income, can still receive support. Now we hope the government will find a good solution for those students who have lost their income from part-time jobs,” says Marte Øien, head of NSO.
SV: – Avoid more loans
However, Mona Fagerås, SV’s educational policy spokesperson, thinks the government should go further and make sure that the student loan burden is not too high.
– “More loans are a heavy burden to put on young people’s shoulders. The solution is scholarships, not loans,” she tells NTB.
She announces that they will now continue to work to get the other parties to come up with better solutions.
– This is an extremely scary and uncertain situation for many students. They are put under immense pressure that politicians must take very seriously.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
