The grant will not be reduced!!
The Labour Party initially proposed reducing the grant portion for folk high school students from 40 to 15 percent in its draft national budget. This would have made attending a folk high school significantly more expensive.
Late on December 2nd, the Labour Party, Red Party, Centre Party, the Socialist Left Party, and the Green Party reached an agreement on the proposed national budget for 2026. The proposal includes reversing the cut to the grant portion for folk high school students.
Dette er en gladnyhet for alle som planlegger et folkehøgskoleår. Det reviderte statsbudsjettet, som skal vedtas på fredag, innebærer at stipendandelen forblir uendret.
The four collaborating parties – the Socialist Left Party, the Centre Party, the Red Party, and the Green Party – had all proposed reversing the cut in their alternative budgets. After the negotiations were concluded and a turbulent week has passed, the result shows that the cooperating parties have succeeded. Folk high school students will therefore continue to have 40 percent of their loan converted into a grant.
“This is an enormous relief and a major victory for everyone who has fought to preserve folk high schools as an option for all. We can now continue to offer a year marked by community, exploration, and joy of learning, regardless of students’ financial background,” says Anne Tingelstad Wøien, Director of the Folk High School Council.