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The Swedish Board of Student Finance (CSN) is the government agency that manages Swedish student finance, i.e. grants and loans for studies. We also manage driving licence loans and home equipment loans. You can find out more about the various finance options here. The information in English is of a general nature.

Student finance – grants and loans for studies
The right to Swedish student finance for foreign citizens who want to study in or outside of Sweden
Repaying student loans
Home equipment loans – for refugees
Driving licence loan – for the unemployed
New arrivals in Sweden - refugee
Children – information for persons under the age of 18
About cookies and processing of personal data
Information about CSN for foreign schools
Contact us

Information in English and other languages

We provide information about our various forms of grants and loans in different languages. Quite a lot of information has been translated into English. The most important information has been translated into other languages, such as Arabic, Spanish, etc.

Student finance – grants and loans for studies

There are various kinds of student finance, depending on what you are studying and how old you are. Here are the most common ones:

If you are studying at upper secondary school you can obtain a study allowance up to and including the spring term in which you reach the age of 20. The study allowance consists of different grants, for example student grant and supplementary allowance. The supplementary allowance is a grant that you can apply for if your family has a low income.

Study allowance for studies in Sweden

Study allowance for studies outside Sweden

Student funding consists of grants and student loans. You can apply for student grants and loans as of the autumn term in which you reach the age of 20. If you are to study at a post-secondary course, for example at university, you can apply for student grants and loans even if you are below the age of 20. You must repay the student loan.

Student grants and loans for studies in Sweden

Student grants and loans for studies outside Sweden

Repay student loan

The education entry grant is for those who have been unemployed for a long time and need to pursue a compulsory school or upper secondary school course in order to get a job. This is a grant that you can receive for a maximum of 50 weeks if you are studying full time.

Education entry grant

New student loan from 2022 with a higher age limit

The Riksdag is introducing a new student loan with a higher age limit – raising it from 56 to 60 years. The new loan will be introduced for all students taking out loans from 2022. The age limit for individuals studying with education entry grant is also being raised from 56 to 60 years.

The right to Swedish student finance for foreign citizens who want to study in or outside of Sweden

The qualifications you need to fulfil in order to have the right to Swedish student finance depend on if you are planning to study in Sweden or abroad, and what citizenship you have.

The right to Swedish student finance - for foreign citizens who want to study in or outside of Sweden

Repaying student loans

Those who have studied with student loans from CSN start repaying their debt when they put their studies on hold or complete the studies for which they have received student financial aid. This applies even if you are unemployed, receiving parental benefit or moving abroad. Here you will find information on how to repay your loan and what you can do if you are having difficulties repaying.

Repaying student loans

Home equipment loans – for refugees

If you are covered by the municipal refugee resettlement scheme, you can borrow money to buy furniture and other equipment for your home. This can include beds, plates, saucepans and chairs. You may not use for the money for items such as food, a mobile phone or rent for your home. How much you may borrow depends on, among other things, how big your family is and what the home already contains.

The money you borrow must be repaid later. You start to repay the loan two years after receiving the first payment.

Home equipment loans

Driving licence loan – for the unemployed

If you are unemployed and fulfil certain conditions you can borrow money from CSN for the purpose of obtaining a category B driving licence. It is usually easier to get a job with a driving licence.

To be entitled to the loan, you must be unemployed and aged between 18 and 47. You must also meet certain conditions.

You may borrow a maximum of SEK 15 000 and you must repay the loan later, even if you have not obtained a driving licence.

Driving licence loan

New arrivals in Sweden - refugee

If you are a refugee or guardian for an unaccompanied minor you find more information under New arrivals in Sweden. The information is available in many languages.

New arrivals in Sweden

Children – information for persons under the age of 18

The United Nations (UN) have rules about the rights of children. The rules are known as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. From 1 January 2020 your rights as a child in Sweden are even more protected. Since then the UN convention is a Swedish law, the Rights of the Child Act.