SFS believes that the student body should reflect the composition of society and thus utilize experiences, perspectives and skills in the development of the knowledge society. To achieve broad 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 university.
Broadened recruitment is about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity and conditions to apply for higher education. To achieve this, the university's recruitment of students from groups that are underrepresented in various ways in various higher education programs must increase.
To achieve broad recruitment, SFS advocates, among other things:
- an easily accessible study and career guidance on which education institutions provide and what career opportunities they offer. This support should be provided at upper secondary schools, municipal adult education centres, the employment service, libraries and universities. Read also SFS consultation response "Future choices - career guidance for individuals and society (SOU 2019:4)".
- an accessible admission where upper secondary studies and the university entrance exam should be free of charge and accessible to everyone. Admission to postgraduate education needs to change to broaden recruitment by becoming more clear and transparent.
- that tuition fees for students outside the EU/EEA are completely abolished. Read more in the 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 international students applying to Sweden.
Broadened participation is about designing the education so that everyone who is admitted has the opportunity to complete it, including through pedagogical development and the right to support measures. A broad and heterogeneous student group also places high demands on codes of conduct and varying 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 financial and social security systems also affects broader participation. Financial security through the student financial aid system reduces the need to work alongside full-time studies to make ends meet. The social security system provides support when a student becomes ill. During periods of study-related illness, the country's student health clinics play an important role. When the illness becomes more prolonged, students must be covered by a well-functioning security system in order to have time to rehabilitate and return to studies.
To achieve broader participation, SFS advocates, among other things:
- active work environment work to improve the psychosocial work environment. UKÄ as a supervisory authority should cooperate with, for example, 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 duties. Read SFS's input to the government's new work environment strategy
- Students should have the right to sick leave at different levels and the right to rehabilitation. Read SFS consultation response Safer and more effective studies (SOU 2018:73) (see attached file).
reinstates unemployment insurance for students who do not get a job immediately after graduation. Read SFS Pm on Unemployment Benefits after Graduation (2020).