SFS believes that the student group should reflect the composition of society and thus utilize experiences, perspectives and competencies in the development of the knowledge society. In order to achieve broadened recruitment, the state, municipality and other parts of society must pursue an active policy that encourages studies and makes it possible for everyone to have the choice to study at the university.
Broadened recruitment is about everyone having the opportunity and conditions to apply for higher education. To get there, the university's recruitment of students from groups that are in various ways underrepresented in various higher education programs must increase.
In order to achieve a broadened recruitment, SFS advocates, among other things:
- an easily accessible study and career guidance on what educations the higher education institutions provide and what career opportunities they provide. This support should be provided at upper secondary schools, municipal adults, the employment service, libraries and higher education institutions. Also read SFS consultation response "Future choices - career guidance for the individual and society (SOU 2019: 4)".
- an accessible admission where upper secondary studies and the university entrance examination must be free of charge and accessible to all. Admission to the doctoral program needs to be changed to broaden recruitment by becoming more clear and transparent.
- that tuition fees for students outside the EU / EEA are completely removed. Read more in SFS consultation response to "Increased attractiveness for the knowledge nation Sweden (SOU 2918: 78)" and “A strategic agenda for internationalization (SOU 2018: 3)” (see attached file).
- that as long as fees for certain students remain, ensure that there is a secure and long-term scholarship fund for international students with a secured proportion of eligible scholarships to promote that international students apply to Sweden.
Broadened participation is about designing the education so that everyone who has been accepted has the opportunity to implement it, among other things through pedagogical development and the right to support measures. A broad and heterogeneous student group also places high demands on codes of conduct and varied educational arrangements that guarantee an inclusive study and work environment adapted to gender, functionality, ethnicity, class, religion, sexuality, gender expression, gender identity and age. Everyone should feel welcome in the academy.
Access to economic and social security systems also affects the broader participation. Financial security through the student financial aid system reduces the need to work alongside full-time studies in order for the economy to converge. The social security system supports when a student becomes ill. During periods of study-related illness, the country's student health clinics play an important role. As the disease becomes more long-lasting, students must be covered by a well-functioning security system in order to have time to be rehabilitated back to studies.
In order to achieve a broader participation, SFS advocates, among other things:
- an active work environment work work to improve the psychosocial work environment. UKÄ as a supervisory authority should cooperate with e.g. The Swedish Work Environment Authority (AV) or the Discrimination Ombudsman (DO). Student safety representatives should also be given influence and good conditions to carry out their assignments. Read SFS input to the government's new work environment strategy
- students shall have the right to sick leave at different levels and the right to rehabilitation. Read SFS consultation response Safer and more efficient studies (SOU 2018: 73) (see attached file).
reintroduces unemployment insurance for students who do not get a job immediately after graduation. Read SFS Pm on Unemployment benefit after graduation (2020).