education/Research

The process of studying in Sweden is becoming more expensive and unaffordable

Thursday, 23 February 2012
Despite the fact that the Swedish students get funding from their government funding body, CSN, that process of funding is becoming unaffordable for the students.

Since students are not allowed to work during school hours when they receive this loans and the exorbitant growing cost of living in Sweden today as well as the extremely uncertain jobs market, studying today in Sweden has been accounted as a loss of activity.

Over Skr700 extra is needed each month for students to meet their expenses and the situation has worsened, according to estimates.

Swedish National Union of Students (SFS) has for years put together the budget for the country’s students to see how study was valuable in relation to the cost of living. The result from this year accounting shows that students that stay in school end up with a deficit of Skr740 a month – more than double that of last year. A student who takes a maximum student loan and grants may now receive Skr8920 per month.

“The cost of living has increased over the past year and the student loans and grants have not got up with the rate of increase. It’s an absurd situation that results in the growth of students’ insecurity is increasing and they are forced to find other solutions to make ends meet, like borrowing money from their parents or a part time job while studying,” says Sabine Pettersson, who is vice chairperson of the SFS.

The deficit for the students would not just affect the individual but also threatens Sweden as a knowledge nation, argues SFS, which requires the government to raise the student loans and grants.

The fear is that if it becomes too great a hassle to study in Sweden, only the rich would be able to make it to the university, thus challenging Swedish egalitarian aspirations. Also Sweden will become a country where young people will aspire to become low grade workers as such it internationally recognized leadership in competitiveness and innovation will die away. It is hopped that this is not where Sweden would want to be in the future.
By Scancomark.se Team

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