The Quota Scheme is Norway's and NTNU's largest loan and scholarship scheme for financing students from eligible developing countries, and countries in Central and Eastern Europe/ Central Asia, when it comes to student numbers. The Quota Scheme was implemented by the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education in the autumn 1994 as a Norwegian Governmental Assistance Scheme to promote capacity building in the student’s home country and at the student’s home institution, and to promote the participation of students from these countries in the process of internationalisation of higher education. From 1 January 2005, the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU) has taken over the national responsibility for the Quota Scheme from the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education (KD). Currently 47 higher educational institutions in Norway are participating in the Quota Scheme. As part of a national quota of totally 1100 seats, 800 seats are reserved for students from developing countries, and 300 seats for students from Central and Eastern Europe/ Central Asia. The higher educational institutions in Norway participating in the scheme, apply every third year to SIU to obtain their share of the national quota. For the academic years 2005-2006, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008, NTNU has been granted the largest institutional quota in Norway with 175 seats (155 for developing countries, and 20 for Central and Eastern Europe/ Central Asia), followed by University of Bergen (154 seats) and University of Oslo (154 seats).

Who can apply ?

In 2005, the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Education (KD) changed the national regulations for the Quota Scheme, so that individual applicants from non-collaboration institutions no longer can be considered for Quota Scheme support. Only candidates who are either students, temporary or permanently employed at collaboration institutions in eligible developing countries or countries in Central and Eastern Europe/ Central Asia where the respective university/ college in Norway has signed collaboration agreements, can now apply. Eligible applicants must also have stayed at least one year in their home country directly prior to the planned education at the Norwegian university/ college. Candidates applying directly from another country than their home country will therefore not be considered for financial support under the Quota Scheme. Please refer to the list of eligible countries under the Quota Scheme, and the list of NTNU’s collaboration institutions in developing countries/ Central- and Eastern Europe in this document.

What does it cover ?

The Quota Scheme covers living expenses while studying in Norway, travel allowances according to fixed national rates at minimum student price, support to cover fieldwork periods in the students' home country as part of the study programme in Norway, and additional support for children when they are staying together with the student in Norway. At the moment the yearly support is NOK 82 900 for students at undergraduate and graduate programmes (NOK 8 290 per month for 10 months per year). PhD students obtain NOK 99 480 per year (NOK 8 290 per month for 12 months per year). A major part of the support (60 %) is given as a loan, that will only be waived if the student is permanently settling down in his or her home country after completing the education in Norway. A minor part (40 %) is given as a scholarship. You will also- find some useful information about the Quota Scheme on SIU’s web page: www.siu.no