Students with children in Norway should receive student support for all months of the year, Norway’s Labor Party (AP) believes.
That is one of several proposals put forward by the Labor Party in its new strategy for higher education.
“We now propose to introduce twelve months of student support for students with children. It is obviously good for the students, who get stability through the summer. It is also good for their children, who get the opportunity to take a holiday with both mum and dad,” parliamentary representative Nina Sandberg (AP) noted.
More children
Sandberg hopes the proposals can encourage more people to have children earlier.
The AP politician pointed out that Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) has expressed concern that too few children are being born in Norway for the welfare model to continue.
While Sandberg shares that concern, she doesn’t think that the government is doing enough to follow up on the issue.
In addition to giving out student support to student parents throughout the year, the party believes that students should get parental leave rights and be paid parental leave during their studies.
Avoiding difficult situations
Sandberg could not answer whether these schemes should be linked to the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV) or the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen).
“The important thing is that students do not end up in a difficult situation if they have children during their studies so that they can take a leave that suits their family and still return to their studies afterward. It is about both funding and adaptability from the educational institutions,” she said.
At the moment, students currently receive parental funding support for up to 49 weeks when they have children.
To receive the support, they must be part of an education that entitles them to support from the Loan Fund for at least four months before the birth of a child.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
That is a welcome move but there´s this other problem which I think its my right. I am a student (full time) and receiving student loan and working part time since the student loan(190,000kr) is not enough to pay my student fees(120,000 kr)and take care of my housing, feeding and take care of my 3 children and others. First I was laid off and I applied for unemployment benefits for the part time work I was doing and I was told I could not get it because I am a student and receiving student loan. Next I went back to work and I got injured and I was operated and could not work so I applied for sick benefits I was told I cannot get sick benefit again because I am a student and receiving student loan. I don´t think this is fair for students who work and study to be refused their unemployment/sick benefits on the part time work they do to enable them cope with their welfare and family. They do pay taxes on this part time work and deserve equivalent benefit like any other tax payer. Also the student loan is a debt to the student to be paid back to the state and not like those getting money free for introductory programmes which will not be paid back. And lastly the student who gets student loan and pays almost all this loan to fees( those in private schools) should be considered differently from those who get this same student loan and pays almost nothing to fees( I mean those in state schools). Its not feasible for student of my status (paying most of the loan to school fees, kids to take care of, a housing conducive also for the kids, etc) to be able to survive solely on student loan without part time work. And when one struggles to make means ends by taking part time work and situations like temporary laid off and sickness do occur, how can one survive then if NAV refuses to pay this temporary laid off/ sickness benefits for the part time work? Its even more worst when you don´t receive student loan during the 2 months summer vacation. Sir I hope many students in my situation are facing this hard dilemma and the need for it to be addressed.
Thanks