The Prime Minister has today appointed Lotta Edholm (L) as the new Minister of Upper Secondary Education, Higher Education and Research. She will thus become the third minister with responsibility for higher education in less than a year.
We would like to send our warm congratulations, but at the same time have some congratulatory messages:
Stop the betrayal – Strengthen student union funding
The government has announced a reduction in support for student influence by 30 percent from January 1, 2026. A decision that would have far-reaching consequences for the activities of student unions and the quality of education.
The current support was introduced in connection with the coalition government, with the responsible minister from the Liberal Party, abolishing the compulsory union membership. All opposition parties have spoken out against the reduction. But the ball is in the government's court. The decisive decision will be made in September 2025 when the government presents its budget bill for 2026. We have previously written a text about the reduction.
Our message to the government is clear: Don't let the student unions down – Strengthen the funding of student influence.
Increase teacher-led time – We have the second lowest teacher-led time in Europe
This spring we released the report Low, lower, lowest, where we examined teacher-led time in Swedish higher education. The report shows that Swedish students receive the second lowest teacher-led time in Europe, with an average of only 10 hours a week. Sweden is worst in several subject areas. For example, a student in the field receives Pedagogy only four hours of teacher-led time per week.
Stop the erosion – Higher education is worth funding
Swedish higher education has been eroded for over 30 years, and There is a shortage of 13 billion kronor today. to reach the same level of funding per student as in the 90s. This is due, among other things, to the productivity deduction – the state streamlines part of our education every year. This means, among other things, that teachers at universities and colleges around the country are laid off, and that Swedish students are not allowed to meet their teachers.
We want to see an increase in the compensation per student by 50%, which with the current system would in practice be cost-neutral, and that universities and colleges, like polytechnics, avoid the productivity deduction.
Defending academic freedom – Academic freedom must be constitutionally protected
Academic freedom is being challenged, both abroad and in Sweden, and to UKÄ, Swedish researchers and teachers state that they see political governance as the greatest threat to academic freedom. Freedom of education today lacks constitutional protection – that is unreasonable. When academic freedom is challenged, it must be defended.
The government has appointed an investigation which reviews the protection of academic freedom for researchers and teachers, but students are not included. Our call is simple: give the inquiry an additional directive and make sure to include the lion's share of those active at higher education institutions: Sweden's students.
Modernize the study tool – The system must work for today's students.
The current student aid system dates back to 2001, and it is high time for reform. The government announced in the 2025 budget bill that they intend to carry out a review of the entire system, but nothing has happened yet. The current system is not fit for purpose.
This spring, we released a report that specifically highlights the problem of additional costs in workplace-based training, a mandatory part of several socially important vocational training programs, including nursing and teaching. In When students foot the bill Three students testify about the financial consequences that a mandatory part of their education can have. The report also includes a survey conducted by Novus, which shows that over one in ten students had additional costs of over SEK 4,000.
The government is clearly investing in STEM education, but at the same time making it more difficult for students to study them. Currently, students in foundation year education are not considered students, which entails several disadvantages. Among other things, in some cases they are not allowed to apply for student housing. They are also subject to a 100% performance requirement, which means that students who continue on to a program for which they have now been granted eligibility, but who have missed a course in the foundation year, are denied study funding.
It is high time that the inquiry is appointed – with a particular focus on adapting the student finance system for the future.
In summary: There is a lot to do.
Congratulations again! We look forward to meeting you and talking about how we can make a difference for over 400,000 students, and for the future of Sweden!