Last year, the Storting decided to make studying abroad more expensive for Norwegian students. While Norwegian international students previously had 70 per cent of their school fees covered with a study grant from Norway, the grant now only covers 40 per cent of their school fees. The students will therefore have to pay more from their own pockets in the future. For a long time, Rikke Kalvåg from Tysfjord, who is halfway through her veterinary studies in Slovakia, thought that the change would not affect her. She is one of up to 150 veterinary students that Nord University has in Slovakia at any given time, according to the university itself. After a year and a half in Bodø, the last year and a half in Slovakia is completed. – The message was that the stipend cut should not affect us directly, she says to news. It was only when the student friend was to apply for a loan and grant from the loan office that they discovered that the grant had been reduced to 40 per cent. Debts to the veterinary association The Veterinary Association writes to news that how large an increase in loans each individual student receives varies depending on whether they attend a bachelor’s or master’s programme. On the master’s programme, it is estimated that students for the 2022/2023 school year will receive NOK 50,910 in tuition grants. That was before the stipend cut came into effect. After the stipend cut, the master’s students for the 2023/2024 school year will receive NOK 31,128 in tuition grants, according to the Veterinary Association. This gives a difference of NOK 19,782. Now more students feel that they have been tricked, says Kalvåg. When she started her studies, the grant support was 70 per cent, but the cut affects both existing and new students. They believe the Norwegian Veterinary Association is to blame for the misunderstanding. – In talks with the Veterinary Association at the end of 2022, it was written to us via e-mail that the change was not going to affect or go directly beyond us current veterinary students, says Kalvåg. Read the email that the students received from the Veterinary Association: The veterinary students received the following response from the Veterinary Association in December 2022, when the students requested information about the stipend cut. news quotes directly: “Hello, both DNV-S and the central government have recorded the issues for foreign students. I assume you are thinking about the reduction in funding for foreign students? Initially, we thought this would affect most of our members, but when we looked more closely, it was probably few who were directly affected. The case was dealt with, among other things, by several academic associations, and especially in relation to whether the medical students were in the same situation. Nor were they particularly affected by the change.” – The message was that the stipend cut should not affect us directly. So we were surprised when we had to apply for loans and grants and it says in black and white that it applies to everyone, says Kalvåg. Rikke Kalvåg is considering doing like his fellow students and opting out of the Veterinary Association. Photo: private Students opt out of the Veterinary Association Kalvåg says that several in the class have opted out of the Veterinary Association, because they believe the association has not done its job. She considers the same. She adds that the students have not yet received any information. – We think they could have spoken about this. They are supposed to work for our rights, but then they don’t fully put in that effort. Head of organization and negotiations in the Norwegian Veterinary Association, Christian Tengs, replies that this matter is really being taken seriously, and that they are very critical of the stipend cut. Christian Tengs is a veterinarian and head of organization and negotiation at the Norwegian Veterinary Association. Photo: Frauke Becher / Den Norske Veterinærforening Tengs says that an extensive investigation was carried out by their student association, to find out to what extent Norwegian veterinary students abroad would be affected by the stipend cut. The student association did this by collecting figures from the managers and boards of various clubs at the study sites abroad and calculating how the scholarship cut would affect the students. – The feedback we received was that the existing scholarship scheme in Slovakia was of such a nature that the veterinary students were not significantly affected. – If this should be a mistake, we really apologize for it, says Tengs. In addition, he replies that the Veterinary Association is tired of the fact that the students feel that the association does not live up to expectations, when he is informed that several students are opting out of the association. – At the same time, we thank you for feedback that gives us the opportunity to improve and provide even better help to members, adds Tengs. Read the rest of the response from the Veterinary Association here: To the claim from the students that the Veterinary Association should work for their rights, but not fully put in that effort, the Veterinary Association responds as follows: – The matter was dealt with in the student association’s board, in the secretariat and by the central board of the Veterinary Association. As can be seen, we have also sent in our own consultation input and made individual assessments of the financial change for most of the study centers where we have members. The leaders of the local student club boards were informed. Information about the case was also sent out in a separate newsletter to all members. – As we received this inquiry again, the Veterinary Association’s student association is in the process of looking at the figures once more, they have contacted the loan office and will follow up next week to request specific figures for the various study locations. – It still does not change our position that the cut should never have taken place, and that certain professional studies, including veterinary studies, should be exempt from the change. Here we encourage the Ministry of Education under the new government to consider the possibility of applying for an exception from this decision on a reduction in the grant share for certain studies such as the veterinary study. Tengs says that the Veterinary Association is very lucky because they have an incredibly talented student association, with many committed students. – I am really proud of the effort they make for their fellow students, it goes far beyond what can be expected. – If the members have any questions, just get in touch; we are almost always available, also on weekends and holidays, concludes Tengs. Narrow needle’s eye The Norwegian University of Environmental and Life Sciences NMBU at Ås in Viken has the only professional education in Norway where you can train to become a veterinarian. But 90 study places means that the point limits are 57.7 for first-time applicants, and 64.4 for regular applicants. – Everyone tried to get in, but the eye of the needle is so small and narrow, says Kalvåg. However, Nord University in Bodø offers a bachelor’s degree where you are guaranteed a transfer to further veterinary studies in Kosice in Slovakia. If you really want to become a veterinarian, it is therefore possible that you will have to become a student abroad. Rikke Kalvåg says that she and her fellow students feel deceived. Photo: Private – There is an enormous need for veterinarians in Norway, especially in the fishing industry. Many of us students are interested in working with fish, but it is becoming less attractive now. – It is already expensive to study with the course, food and travel home. Many have taken up subjects to enter here and already have debts after that. The scholarship cut makes a difference of well over NOK 100,000. It’s sour. Read an extract from the consultation input from the Veterinary Association here: The Veterinary Association is deeply concerned about this way of treating students. As a nation, we have put ourselves in a situation where we are completely dependent on training half of our veterinarians in Eastern Europe. With the proposed change, we will place an additional burden on the individual young person who travels abroad and through a demanding and expensive course of study acquires much-needed competence for our country. We find it almost shameful that those who are already starting their studies without the knowledge and will should also be subjected to this. Today’s situation with a crisis in the veterinary guard and many vacancies across the country indicates that the need is and will be greater than the current number of available and able-bodied vets. Have no plans to change the decision – We have a veterinary crisis in Norway now, and this could lead to a worsening, says Tengs, and adds that they submitted their own response to the consultation when proposals for changes were up for consultation in 2022. He says that approximately half of newly qualified veterinarians have education from abroad. The Veterinary Association believes that veterinary students must be exempt from the change. At the very least, they believe it should not be retroactive. But the government has no plans for that. – The government considers the need for increased educational capacity in connection with the annual budget processes, based on society’s need for competence, says State Secretary Oddmund L. Hoel. The stipend cut, he says, is an adjustment made in relation to today’s economic development. State Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel (Sp). Photo: Ragne B. Lysaker – We have to tighten up and use the money more efficiently, says Hoel. – This change was proposed by the government, and has been adopted by the majority in the Storting. We have no plans to change this. Hoel adds that the change in the grant share was made public in the autumn of 2022, and that it has been communicated throughout that it will take effect from the autumn of 2023 for all students who receive tuition fees. – The Veterinary Association wanted the number of study places at the NMBU Veterinary College to be expanded, provided that NMBU gets the resources for this. Why hasn’t that happened? Hoel replies that in connection with the move of the Veterinary College to Ås, the Storting decided an increase of 20 study places. – Otherwise, the government assesses the need for increased educational capacity in connection with the annual budget processes, based on society’s need for competence, Hoel replies. The question whether veterinary students should be exempted from the change or whether the change should at least not have retroactive effect was not answered.
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Fears the government’s stipend cuts for foreign students are worsening the shortage of veterinarians – news Nordland
