Students' financial security is crucial for us not only to succeed in creating a strong knowledge society. It is crucial for us to succeed in creating an equal one. Sweden's current and future students are worth every effort. That we can focus wholeheartedly on our studies means in turn that we can all give so much more back to society in the long run.
On Sunday, new investments in the study grant were presented. From 1 July next year, the grant part will be increased by SEK 300 per month. This is the first increase in the grant in 11 years. The increase of SEK 300 is also in line with the sum of SEK 326 SFS in February was able to show that an average student goes back every month with current study funds. An increase of SEK 300 thus generally means that Sweden's students' finances go around to a greater extent. On the other hand, it is important to remind ourselves that while the increase is welcome, there are students who have significantly higher costs than those we presented in the spring student budget. Cost of living and rents differ considerably depending on the place of study, which means that many students will still go back despite the increase. In order to enable equal opportunities to take part in higher education, it is therefore important to make efforts on a broad front.
In addition to only the sum of the study grant, in our opinion, the balance between grants and loans also affects the opportunity to study. At present, the grant part is SEK 2848 per month and, together with the loan, the student grant amounts to SEK 10. The change means that the contribution will be 016% instead of the current 30.5%. SFS has long pushed the issue of a better balance between loan and grant part precisely so that more people will see higher education as a real alternative. It is these thresholds we want to reduce and the investment in the budget is only a step in the right direction. Reaching a balance between loans and grants, on the other hand, is not the only change we see as pressing linked to the system.
The Swedish university has changed, but the student financial aid system has not kept pace with developments. With the European so-called Bologna process, the educations in Sweden became longer and many are now five years old. Despite this, the number of years eligible for study grants is still limited to six with the possibility of extending by one year for special reasons. This limits the opportunities to start other education during or after a degree has begun. The needs in society are changing at an ever faster pace, which means that the opportunity for lifelong learning and further education is becoming increasingly important. This possibility should not be limited by the study grant.
Today, the right to study grants is limited at the age of 47. For each year thereafter, the number of weeks you have the opportunity to receive study grants decreases until the year you are 57 years old, when you are no longer eligible for study grants. If Sweden is to be a knowledge society that takes lifelong learning seriously, these restrictions should be removed and people should be allowed to educate themselves and further their education with study grants until retirement. The fact that some students do not have the same opportunities and right to support as others will in the long run become a form of age discrimination.
The right to be able to receive compensation when you are ill should be linked to employment studies and not that you should finance your studies in a specific way. In the current system, students' opportunity to receive health insurance is linked to taking study grants. There have been proposals from the government to protect the sickness benefit qualifying income when you study, but this presupposes that you have worked before you start studying. In other words, there is still a part of the government to make a list to ensure all students' right to health insurance and guarantee a safe study period.
The government, the Riksdag and, above all, society must never forget what an investment students are. We emphasize: That we can focus wholeheartedly on our studies means that no matter when in life we dare, can and want to study and then contribute to a stronger society.