SFS chairman Jacob Färnert signs Express debate about the need for student aid reform, inspired by the Norwegian government's decision to increase the Norwegian student aid by 10 percent.
The current level of the Swedish study aid is insufficient. Students struggle to cover their basic costs. Every fifth student spends more than SEK 6 on housing costs per month, which is roughly half of the student aid.
40 percent of all students work extra to cover their expenses. This phenomenon is usually embellished by several camps in politics, but it does not rhyme well with the ambition of the knowledge nation. Among the students who work 10-19 hours a week, close to 40 percent feel that the work affects their studies negatively and a paltry 15 percent think it affects their studies positively.
There is thus a clear connection between the students' financial situation and their knowledge results.
From a societal perspective, an increase in the tuition fee is therefore an investment in our country's future. It is worth considering that today's students are tomorrow's leaders, innovators and community builders.
In Norway, the government has realized this. They see the increase in tuition fees as a vital part of ensuring that students can devote themselves to their studies without the constant worry of financial survival. Why would we in Sweden lag behind in this critical issue?
Read the entire debate article at expressen.se.