No, the University of Oslo does not offer scholarships for international students on full bachelor's or master's degree programmes. UiO says plainly that it has no scholarships available and that it is legally barred from using its grant for student scholarships. The same is true at most Norwegian public institutions: they do not offer scholarships to degree students. But there are exceptions, and some scholarships come from outside the universities. Here is what the institutions actually say.
What the University of Oslo says
UiO's message is blunt: there are no scholarships for students on full bachelor's and master's degree programmes, and the university does not offer any scholarships. It also says it cannot use its own grant money for student scholarships because it is legally barred from doing so. The government has announced it will reassess national scholarships for later academic years, but as of now there is nothing for degree students at UiO.
The one exception is exchange. If you come to UiO through Erasmus+ or Nordplus, your grant is usually awarded and paid by your home institution, not by UiO. UiO also suggests you look for scholarships from public or private institutions in your home country, and says it cannot help with information about those.
What NTNU, NHH, HVL and UiT say
The pattern holds across other public institutions. NTNU says it does not offer any scholarships that cover tuition fees. NHH says that as a publicly financed institution it does not offer scholarships or other financial support, and directs students to their home university, educational authorities or funding organisations in their home country. HVL says it does not offer any scholarships, does not control any sources of student funding and cannot assist students financially. UiT says it does not normally offer scholarships that cover living expenses for international students, though incoming exchange students may receive support from their home institution through programmes such as Erasmus+ and Nordplus.
So if you are applying for a full degree at a public institution in Norway, do not expect the university to fund you. You will need to cover tuition (if it applies to you) and living costs yourself, or find funding elsewhere.
Where scholarships do exist
There are some scholarships for international students in Norway, but they are not the norm at public universities. BI Norwegian Business School, a private institution, runs its own scholarship programme for admitted master's students, including the BI Presidential Scholarship and the Master International Scholarship. Those are worth checking if you are considering BI.
There are also national and international schemes. The Norwegian government offers no individual scholarships to degree students, but a few named programmes exist: NORSTIP (which includes a scholarship at the University of Oslo), Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships, the A. Wilhelmsen Foundation Scholarship at BI, and the Students at Risk (StAR) scholarship. NTNU, for example, exempts from tuition fees students who come through StAR, NORPART, NORHED, NORSTIP, the Fulbright programme or any full-degree scholarship awarded by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills. These are specific schemes with their own rules, check each one carefully.
You can browse the full list in our scholarship directory, which includes the ones mentioned above. That is the quickest way to see what is actually available.
What about tuition fees and the cost of living?
Degree-seeking students from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland normally have to pay tuition fees at Norwegian institutions, and the fees vary between institutions and programmes. EU/EEA and Swiss students are normally exempt from tuition fees at public institutions. If you are from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland and plan to stay for three months or longer, you will also need a residence permit for studies (a study permit). UDI decides on study permits; the institution decides on admission.
Before you apply, work out your budget. Our tuition fees guide explains how fees are set and which students they apply to. But always confirm the fee with the institution itself, fees, deadlines and programme details change.
How to apply and where to look for funding
Admission to bachelor's degrees taught in English is through the institutions' own systems; bachelor's degrees taught in Norwegian go through NUCAS. Postgraduate programmes are not part of NUCAS, so master's applicants apply through the institution's website. That means you deal with each institution directly, and that is also where you should ask about any funding that might exist.
When you are looking for scholarships, start with your home country. UiO, NHH and others point students to funding organisations, educational authorities and universities back home. Then check the specific programmes listed in our directory. Also look at the institution's own pages: some have fee exemptions or partner schemes that are not called scholarships.
If you are still choosing where to apply, our list of all universities in Norway lets you compare institutions. But remember: at most public institutions, you should plan to fund your studies yourself.
Sources
- UiO, scholarships for international students (data/facts/uio__scholarships.txt)
- UiO, tuition fees and funding (data/facts/uio__tuition.txt)
- NTNU, tuition fees (data/facts/ntnu__tuition-fees.txt)
- NHH, financial matters (data/facts/nhh__financial-matters.txt)
- HVL, tuition (data/facts/hvl__tuition.txt)
- UiT, cost of living (data/facts/uit__cost-of-living.txt)
- BI Norwegian Business School, Presidential Scholarship (data/facts/bi__presidential-scholarship.txt)
- Study in Norway, education system (data/facts/studyinnorway__education-system.txt)
- Study in Norway, admission to degree programmes (data/facts/studyinnorway__admission-degree-programmes.txt)
- Samordna opptak, English home (data/facts/samordnaopptak__english-home.txt)
- Study in Norway, tuition fees (data/facts/studyinnorway__tuition-fees.txt)
- Study in Norway, cost and requirements (data/facts/studyinnorway__cost-and-requirements.txt)
- Study in Norway, scholarships for degree students (data/facts/studyinnorway__scholarships-degree-students.txt)
Frequently asked questions
Does the University of Oslo offer scholarships for international students?
No. UiO states that there are no scholarships available for students on full bachelor's and master's degree programmes, and that the university does not offer any scholarships. It also says it is legally barred from using its grant for student scholarships.
Do other Norwegian universities offer scholarships?
Most public institutions say they do not. NTNU offers no scholarships covering tuition fees, NHH offers no scholarships or financial support, HVL offers no scholarships, and UiT does not normally offer scholarships covering living expenses. The Norwegian government offers no individual scholarships to degree students.
Are there any scholarships for international students in Norway at all?
Yes, but they are limited. BI Norwegian Business School runs its own scholarships for admitted master's students, including the BI Presidential Scholarship and the Master International Scholarship. There are also schemes such as NORSTIP, Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters, the A. Wilhelmsen Foundation Scholarship and the Students at Risk (StAR) scholarship.
Can I get a scholarship to cover tuition fees at NTNU?
NTNU says it does not offer any scholarships that cover tuition fees. However, it exempts from tuition fees students who come through certain named programmes (StAR, NORPART, NORHED, NORSTIP, Fulbright, or a full-degree scholarship from the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills). Check with NTNU for details.