Tuition fees

International students with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EEA or Switzerland must pay tuition fees, unless they qualify for an exemption.

The Norwegian government has introduced tuition fees for students with citizenship from countries outside the EU/EAA and Switzerland, starting from the academic year 2023/2024.

The tuition fees will not affect students admitted to a study programme prior to 2023 at KHiO, or exchange students from partner universities.

How much is the tuition fee?

Applicants who are offered admission, will receive information about the precise tuition fee alongside the offer.

Master's programmes

Study programme	Rates for the academic year 2024/2025
Master's programme in Design	439 636 NOK per year
Master's programme in Fine Art	456 877 NOK per year
Master's programme in Medium- and Material Based Art	470 677 NOK per year
Master's programme in Art and Public Space	470 677 NOK per year
Master's programme in Choreography	493 924 NOK per year
Master's programme in Dance	493 924 NOK per year
Master's programme in Opera	632 391 NOK per year
Master's programme in Theatre	632 768 NOK per year
Master's Programme Comparative Dramaturgy and Performance Research	632 768 NOK per year

Bachelor's programmes

Study programme	Rates for the academic year 2024/2025
Bachelor's programme in Interior Architecture and Furniture Design	439 636 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Graphic Design and Illustration	439 636 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Fashion and Costume Design	439 636 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Fine Art	456 877 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Medium- and Material Based Art	470 677 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Jazz Dance	493 924 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Contemporary Dance	493 924 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Classical Ballet	493 924 NOK per year
Bachelor's programme in Acting	632 768 NOK per year

One-year programmes

Study programme	Rates for the academic year 2024/2025
One-year programme in Educational Theory and Practice (PPU)	493 924 NOK per year
One-year programme in Opera	632 391 NOK per year

The tuition fees will be adjusted annually.

KHiO does not offer any scholarships that cover tuition fees.

How and when do I pay the tuition fee?

Applicants from countries outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland who have accepted their offer of admission, will receive an invoice by email. The invoice will provide instructions for paying the tuition fee.

The deadline for paying the tuition fee is 1 June. It can take up to three weeks for the Academy to register the payment, depending on the bank connection.

When the Academy have received your payment, we will issue a confirmation of payment. This can be used as documentation when applying for a student residence permit, cf. below.

The tuition fee must be paid in full before each academic year. It is not possible to pay the tuition fee in instalments.

If you have paid the tuition fee, but later have to withdraw from your study place, you can apply to have the tuition fee refunded within 1 September. We will provide information on how to apply for a refund in due course.

Can I apply for an exemption?

Some applicants will be exempt from paying tuition fees based on residence in Norway other close connections with Norway. Applications are based on the universities and colleges act and national regulations on education support.

Applicants who have accepted an offer of admission, may apply for an exemption. Information on how to apply for an exemption will be provided after admission.

If you are granted an exemption, you will receive a confirmation which can be used as documentation when applying for a student residence permit, cf. below.

Please note that some students will need to apply for renewal of exemption each academic year or semester.

See the criteria and requirements for exemptions to tuition fees.

Applying for at student residence permit

When applying for a student residence permit, applicants who have received an offer of admission must document their financial ability to cover living expenses in Norway. This comes in addition to the tuition fees. The current amount required by The Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) is NOK 151 690 per year (adjusted yearly).

List of exemptions

Applicants who have received and accepted an offer of admission may apply for an exemption. Please note that it is not possible to combine the various grounds for exemption.

How do I apply for exemption?

Admitted applicants that are eligible for an exemption from paying the tuition fee, must fill out this application form in addition to the required documentation as listed below.

All documentation must be uploaded in the application portal Søknadsweb by 15 May.

Who is exempted to pay?

Students who belong to one of the following categories are exempted from paying tuition fees:

You are citizen of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card

You have a permanent residence permit in Norway

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a permanent residence permit in Norway.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police

You have a residence permit due to protection (asylum), strong humanitarian considerations or a special connection to Norway

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have residence (asylum) in Norway due to protection, strong humanitarian considerations or a special connection to Norway.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police

You have a residence permit as family member of an EU/EEA citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit as family member of an EU/EEA citizen. The EU/EEA citizen must have grounds for residence in Norway other than studying.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police
Copy of the registration certificate for your family member

You have a residence permit due to family immigration

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you have a residence permit due to family immigration. The person with whom you have been reunited must either be a Norwegian citizen or a foreign national with a reason for residence in Norway other than studying.

Furthermore, you do not have to pay tuition fees if you have gained a continued residence permit on an independent basis due to the Norwegian immigration act § 53.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police
Copy of the residence card or registration certificate for your family member

You are cohabiting and have children with a Norwegian citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are cohabiting with and have children with a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your cohabiting person must live in Norway.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the residence certificate for you, your cohabitating person and your child
Copy of your spouse passport or national ID card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police

You are married to a Norwegian citizen

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you are married to a Norwegian citizen or are the legal partner of a Norwegian citizen. Both you and your spouse or legal partner must live in Norway.

With legal partner we mean a person with whom you are married or have an equivalent official relation.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of your marriage certificate from the Norwegian Tax Administration or from the foreign authority who officiated the wedding
Copy of the residence certificate for you and your spouse/legal partner
Copy of your spouse passport or national ID card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police

You have worked in Norway for at least two years full-time

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you during a qualifying period of at least 24 months have had continuous full-time work in Norway, have been resident in and paid tax to Norway.

You must have had a residence permit as an employee during the accrual period. There must be no gap during the accrual period. In addition, there must be not gap between the accrual period and further studies. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year in the event of illness or childbirth.

Au-pair work is not considered full-time employment.

Documentation:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police
Certificate from your employer, printout of the determination of income tax, salary and deducation statements, payslips or corresponding documentation. The documentation must show that you have paid tax in Norway for the last 24 months immediately prior to commencing studies.

You have studied in Norway for at least three years full-time

You do not have to pay tuition fees if you during an accrual period of at least 36 months have lived in and been in education in Norway and passed education equivalent to 3 years of full-time education (180 ECTS credits).

There must be no gap during the accrual period. In addition, there must be no gap between the accrual period and further studies. However, exceptions can be made for stays of up to 1 year in the event of illness or childbirth.

During the qualifying period, you cannot have received educational support from Lånekassen (the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund), public educational support from other countries or from any Norwegian public development support programmes like Norad, The Norwegian Programme for Development Research and Education (NUFU), The Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED).

You must submit:

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card (both sides)
Copy of transcripts of records or diplomas for education completed in Norway
A signed self-declaration that you have not received student aid from Lånekassen, or another country's equivalent public student aid scheme.

You are UK citizen and moved to Norway before 31 December 2020

During a transitional period that lasted until 2020, the United Kingdom was to be treated as if it were still a member of the EU and the EEA.

If you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, who were entitled to reside in Norway in accordance with the EEA agreement before the end of the transition period (31.12.2020), you are exempt to pay tuition fees. You must also have stayed in Norway.

If you came to Norway on 1 January 2021 or later, you are not exempt from paying tuition fees.

Documentation :

Copy of your passport or national ID card
Copy of your residence card or registration certificate
Copy of the decision letter from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) or police

Will you become eligible for an exemption before the start of studies?

If you are not eligible for an exemption now, but will be eligible before the start of studies in August, you may apply for an exemption. Please send an e-mail to postmottak@khio.no, upload the relevant documentation in the application portal and use the comment section to describe how you will become eligible.

Questions?

If you have questions, send an e-mail to postmottak@khio.no.