Norway University and Visa Help

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hello everyone, new to the site and hoping someone might be able to assist with some questions I have. I am a U.S. Citizen, as is my wife. We are interested in attending a BSc in Norway at the University of Nordland. They are one of the few schools that have bachelors in English.</p>

<p>Norwegian schools have no tuition charges, except for some low fees and books, so I am not to worried about that. However, to be awarded a student visa, you have to have proof of approximately $16,000 USD to cover living expenses. Since I do not have $16,000 saved up, does anyone know of any programs that would assist in meeting those requirements? Since it technically is not a school cost, does FAFSA still provide a loan / grants for this? Or is there any other possibilities? Would I be best off getting a bank loan?</p>

<p>I have been searching the web trying to find answers, but can't seem to find what I need. Maybe I am overlooking something, if anyone has any resources to point me to I would greatly appreciate it.</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

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<p>I know when my kid studied in Finland, we had to do something similar. I think we provided information on her bank account, and I somehow vouched as her parent that I had additional assets and could cover her expenses. But as you are married and apparently independent, you probably don’t have that option. Living expenses are very high in Norway (food, housing, etc.). Not sure how long you expect to stay, but you can’t live on close to nothing if you are there for a semester or a year. There also may be limitations on yours and your wife’s ability to work while you are there. That clause exists for a reason… You aren’t going to be able to take out US federal student loans for that, I am sure.</p>

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<p>FAFSA does generally assist with the full cost of attendance of a college education, including living expenses. However, few foreign universities participate in the US federal student aid program. (The university has to play an active role because they are responsible for verifying your eligibility for aid and dispersing your aid to you.) It appears that the University of Nordland is not a participating university. You can find a full list of participating foreign universities here: <a href=“https://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools/types/international”>https://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools/types/international&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>You’d probably need a collateral or a co-signer who lives in the US to obtain a private student loan. Pursuing your degree abroad puts you at high risk of emigrating, in which case the bank would have no legal means to recoup their money should you choose to default on your loans. </p>

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<p>Thanks for those answers everyone. Pretty much verified what I was thinking. Cost of living is very high in Norway, but we have always dreamed of moving there or visiting for a couple of years. I also believe you can work up to 20 hours per week as a student, with the pay rate being higher over there, it would cover most living expenses (even with the higher tax rates) especially with the 2 of us, albeit on a tight budget. The only real issue like I said was proving we have the funds to cover everything upfront. We have some money saved but not enough, so we will probably have to look into the private loans. That’s a good point B@r!um, didn’t think of that banks point of view for risk of emigrating, cosigner shouldn’t be to much of an issue though if needed.</p>

<p>Thanks again, appreciate the advice!</p>

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<p>

Do you know how difficult it would be to find a part-time student job if you are not fluent in the local language?</p>

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<p>A little off topic here -but if you get a chance there is a cute book called “In Cod We trust” about a American that goes to Norway to study and also his wife has a baby while he is there. It is a little silly -but fun and lots of insight about Norwegian culture. The book is available for Kindle on Amazon </p>

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<p>Yes, difficult but not impossible b@r!um. While I am not fluent enough in Norwegian to earn a degree taught in Norwegian, I do know enough for conversations and am continuously working on my language skills.Relocating to a new country in general is difficult anyway you look at it. We could discuss the difficulties of various aspects of living there (or any foreign country) all day long.</p>

<p>Veruca, thanks for the book recommendation, I might have to pick that book up, sounds like it might be a good one.</p>

<p>Thanks,</p>

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<p>Not sure how you could get a bank to just make you that loan without any collateral… maybe possible, maybe not, but you might pay a high interest rate. And if living is more expensive than you expect there, you might have trouble paying it back… I would be careful about that. But then I am going to ask another question. Why on earth would you go to Norway to get a degree in English? That is ridiculous. I know you want to live there for a period of time, but the only thing less employable than an English degree here (okay, there are a few less employable degrees, but still…) is a degree in English from a country where English is not the native language.</p>

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<p>Degree is taught in English, not a Bachelors in English… That would be ridiculous lol</p>