– I’ll probably have to give it up: “Hey, shall we meet outside for a pint?”. I probably have to say “No, we’d rather meet at my place” and then we’ll have a coffee or a beer there. That’s what student Lena Nag says. She is one of many students who now face a more expensive everyday life. Student support from Lånekassen has increased by NOK 230 this year. This corresponds to an increase of 2 percent. In comparison, food prices have increased by 6 per cent, electricity is historically high in southern Norway, and rental prices continue to “follow the market”. – I spend the whole summer working because it is so expensive to live, says Nag. This summer she worked as an electronics manufacturer for Westcontrol AS in Tau. She has previously studied in both Kristiansand and Bergen, but is turning her nose towards the capital in August to take a master’s in organisation, management and work. Lena Nag has previously studied in Kristiansand and Bergen, but is moving to Oslo to take a master’s in organisation, management and work. Photo: Julie Ravnås / news – I’m going to Oslo now, and it costs a lot more to live there than in Bergen or Kristiansand. And that means that I use more or less the entire grant and loan on housing. Communications director at Lånekassen, Anette Bjerke, sees how student support is the basis for what students have to live for. – We did a survey where we saw that students under the age of 25 earned 87,000 on average per year. There are many who earn less than that, and that means that even those who have an extra job alongside their studies, the basic loan from Lånekassen is the biggest source of income they have to live on, says Bjerke. Student support is currently NOK 11,715 per month. The rent for Nag in Oslo will be NOK 7,750 – before electricity. – So it will be expensive, says Nag. Civil economist and program leader Hallgeir Kvadsheim believes it is challenging for a student to live only on the student grant. Hallgeir Kvadsheim says it is challenging for students to live only on the student grant during their education. Photo: Rolf Petter Olaisen / news – It is extremely difficult. Unless you have cheap rent, but most students don’t. Then you have to work on the side, and 40 per cent of all students actually do that. And then you have to ask yourself, especially as a politician, whether this is desirable or not? According to the Ministry of Education and Science (KD), it is beneficial for students to have the opportunity to work alongside their studies. – We see positively that students gain important experience on the labor market and are better equipped for the working life that awaits after their studies. The education support is set up so that it gives students the opportunity to work alongside their studies, says State Secretary, Oddmund Løkensgard Hoel. KD is responsible for primary and higher education. Nag thinks it’s a shame that student support is not more adapted for full-time students. – They don’t make good arrangements for us students so that we can continue to do our job – which is to study. We will be working on studies 7.5 hours a day, and the lecturers plan for that when they have to prepare reading plans that we will go through. But we have no chance when we have to work on the side. Lena Nag on her way home from her summer job as an electronics manufacturer at Tau. Photo: Julie Ravnås / news According to Roald, students should be able to work a part-time job for up to 10 hours a week, without it going beyond their studies. – On average, Norwegian full-time students work 8.7 hours a week. Surveys have shown that students can work up to 10 hours a week without affecting their study progress, so I think this is a reasonable level, she says. Nag will work for the bookseller Akademika in Oslo alongside his studies. Student and author Madeleine Borge is behind the Instagram and TikTok accounts “Macerly” and “Student and stuff”. She also notices the challenges of basing her consumption solely on the student grant. – For me, it has been absolutely necessary to work throughout my studies. Madeleine Borge with student tips Nag sees how she now has to start cutting back on previous “benefits” in order to make ends meet for the coming study period. – There will probably be more indoor nights. And be careful what you buy. That it would rather be bean tacos, and perhaps drop the cheese, she says. Moderation is also one of the pieces of advice Kvadsheim has for students. – It’s saying no to yourself. Quite often. Make sure you don’t have too many streaming services. Provide a rental CV on viewings. But, in general: make sure you have a job alongside your studies.
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– It is extremely difficult – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
