It sounds like a dream at first: EU citizens do not have to pay tuition fees at most universities in Sweden ! That’s great, but the disillusionment follows, because the cost of living is relatively high. Travel and unforeseen expenses also need to be managed. Fortunately, students have some funding options available to help them study in Sweden, so that they can realize their plan of a stay abroad.
Funding for a semester abroad in Sweden
There are various options for how students can secure financial support during their semester abroad.
Foreign BAföG
The Auslands-BAföG is the most popular and best-known form of financial support during studies. The application may also be worthwhile for those who do not receive BAföG in Germany, as the assessment limits for stays abroad are higher.
The stay abroad must last at least six months or a full semester in order to receive funding. In addition, students should be able to speak the national language or the language of instruction.
The BAföG provides the following services:
Surcharge on tuition fees (usually not applicable in Sweden as most universities do not have tuition fees for EU citizens)
Traveling expenses
Any additional health insurance costs
The student union Rostock is responsible for the foreign BAföG for study stays in Sweden, a country located in Europe according to transporthint:
Student Union Rostock
Foreign Office Sweden
St.-Georg-Straße 104-107
18055 Rostock
Office hours and contact persons can be found on the Rostock student union website.
Student Loans
The student loan is one of the financing options for studying in Sweden. It is actually mainly intended for domestic students, but those who complete a semester abroad and remain enrolled at their German university can also take advantage of such a loan.
The student is paid a monthly amount of money, which must be paid back after the end of the funding after a waiting period. The terms for repayment are usually moderate. Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to compare the various providers and their conditions in advance.
Financing options for a full degree in Sweden
There are also various financing options for full courses that lead, for example, to degrees such as a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Foreign BAföG
Just like for a semester abroad, students can also apply for BAföG for a full course in another EU country – even if they may not be eligible for this type of financial support in Germany. Due to the higher assessment limits, the standards for the evaluation are somewhat different.
After a period of one year, you have to apply for BAföG again and again in order to continue to receive money for the entire duration of your study stay in Sweden.
With a few exceptions, you must not be older than 30 for a BAföG application for a Bachelor ’s degree and not older than 35 for a Master’s degree. Possible exceptions may include, for example, secondary education, parenting, special personal circumstances, and so on.
Student loans, scholarships, and education funds
You can take out a student loan not only for a semester abroad, but also for a complete course of study. Many providers only sponsor semesters abroad, but there are also some who finance a full degree.
Normally, the borrower receives a certain amount each month with such a loan, which he can set individually. It is important to keep a close eye on the term, because the payments quickly add up to a substantial amount, which you have to repay after a waiting period – albeit usually on fair terms.
Scholarships are also an option to finance your studies in Sweden. Those from the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) are particularly popular, but institutions such as the Svenska Institutet also offer financial support.
Another option is education funds. They are mostly intended for students in promising subjects. Education funds are usually financed by companies, private individuals and professional associations that aim to specifically support students whose career prospects are rosy after graduation. This is because the repayment installments are calculated depending on the later salary.
Jobben
Foreign students are allowed to work as much as they want in Sweden. The only requirement is, of course, that the actual purpose of the stay, namely studying, does not suffer.
