The case in summary: The government will write off parts of the student debt of former students who live in outlying municipalities. They can have NOK 25,000 of their student loan written off annually from January 2026. Former students who live or move to Finnmark and Nord-Troms can have NOK 60,000 of their debt written off annually. The prerequisite is that they have lived in an outlying municipality for at least one year, and are working. The scheme applies to both students from further education and higher education. The government expects that the measure will cost NOK 1.3 billion. The government is now working to get a majority in the Storting in order to get the matter through in the new state budget. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – It is very good. Now there is another reason to move home again, says Sindre Stenseth Pettersen (23). He is a civil engineering student at NTNU in Gjøvik, but is from Trysil. When he finishes his studies, he plans to move home to the municipality in Østerdalen. – I am very happy in the place I come from, and already have a job. So it is obvious that I will actually move home, says Stenseth Pettersen. Trysil is defined as a non-central municipality. Today, more than 6,500 people live in the municipality. The projection shows that in 2050 it is expected to decrease to just over 6,000. Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB Trysil is 1 of a total of 212 municipalities in Norway that is defined as a municipality in centralization class 5 or 6. The government will now write off parts of the student debt to former students who live and work in district municipalities. Can save NOK 25,000 a year For those who live in these municipalities, this means that you can have NOK 25,000 of your student loan written off annually from January 2026. The prerequisites are that the person has lived in a municipality covered by the scheme for at least one year, and is professionally active. If this is in place, you can have education debt written off every year, until the debt is paid off. This applies to both students in further education and higher education. More than 1.2 million Norwegians are customers of Lånekassen, either by receiving student aid or paying off their student loan. 790,000 people are paying off their student loans now, according to Lånekassen. Photo: Reidar Gregersen / news Deputy head of the education and research committee at the Storting, Marit Knutsdatter Strand (Sp), hopes the measure will motivate people to take higher education and move back, or to, the district after further education. – We also need expertise all over Norway. This is a step we want to take to ensure that more people get the opportunity to take both good further education and higher education, says Strand. Marit Knutsdatter Strand (Sp) is deputy chair of the education and research committee at the Storting. Photo: Reidar Gregersen / news – Many people have to move to get higher education or further education. Then they need motivation to move home again after further education, and this should contribute to that. Doubling the scheme in the north From before, students from Finnmark and Nord-Troms have had 20 per cent of their debt written off. In addition to expanding the scheme to apply to all district municipalities in Norway, the government will also improve the conditions for debt relief in the north. There, the rate will double from NOK 30,000 a year, to NOK 60,000 a year from 2026. The map shows the 212 municipalities affected by the measure. The red municipalities in the north are those that can get double the rate. – It is about the country’s safety and having the competence to solve the statutory tasks that are in the local communities, says parliamentary representative Lise Selnes (Ap). – We now see that some districts are struggling to get the expertise they need. Then this is a measure to try to influence social development. Price tag: NOK 1.3 billion The government expects that the gift package they bring to the students with loans will cost NOK 12 million in 2025. When it is fully ramped up, the price tag looks set to end at NOK 1.3 billion, but the cost may vary from year to year. – It is a large sum that will help to motivate and stimulate more people in villages and small towns to take higher and good further education, says Strand. Here you can search for your municipality and see if the measure can apply to you: Now the government is working to get a majority in the Storting to get the matter through in the new state budget. – We will negotiate hard for this when it comes to the Storting in October, says Strand. Could you bid and work in a district municipality? Yes, always dreamed of it!😍 Yes, and I do!💪 Maybe, especially if it can help the economy.🤑 No, it doesn’t suit me🌆 Show result – Good initiative The student from Trysil appreciated the initiative from the government, and hope that it can get even more people to look towards the district municipalities. – It is a very good measure by the government to invest money in the students, says Stenseth Pettersen. “It doesn’t mean much to me today, as I haven’t started paying off the loan yet. Even though paying off the student loan isn’t what preoccupies students Sindre Stenseth Pettersen and Andrea Fiske most now, they think it’s a good thing measures that may benefit them in the future. Photo: Reidar Gregersen / news He gets support from Andrea Fiske (19) from Surnadal, who has recently started studying civil engineering at NTNU. – It may mean that even more people will want to move home. So it’s great, she says. Published 18.09.2024, at 11 a.m
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The government will cancel part of the student debt for former students in district municipalities – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
