Not sure if it’s still a thing but I knew a girl from Norway who basically went to college from age 18-30 getting like four different degrees because as long as she remained in higher education, the government would keep paying for her education + living expenses.
Not sure if that was the original intent but it sure does result in a highly educated populace.
Norway here: This is kind of how it works, but not quite.
While studying, you get a student loan. 40 % of that loan is automatically “forgiven” (turned into a stipend) as you complete your courses. In order to remain eligible for the loan, you need to maintain a certain progression in your studies, and there’s also a limit to how many years you can receive the stipend for (I think it’s eight years now). As long as you’re studying, the loan doesn’t accrue interest, and you don’t need to make down payments.
Throughout five years, I received very roughly 200k NOK (≈20k USD) in stipend, and 300k NOK in loans.
Also, a PhD is treated as an ordinary job here. I’m paid about 600k NOK (≈60k USD) per year, which is a bit less than my peers from engineering studies in industry jobs (they get around 700-800), but it’s by no means a bad pay. I’ve been able to afford a small apartment together with my SO on that pay. Hearing about places where people have to take up loans in order to finance taking a phd makes my head spin.
Little other support as in it’s common to take on more phd candidates than there are resources for leading to issues like needing to fight to get lab time. At least according to some people I know who’ve been in phd programs here.
We have a “complicated” relationship to the EU. There was a vote in the '90s where we decided not to join, and now we’re connected through the EEA (which another comment treats in detail). Today, the EU debate is rising again, largely because of the war in Ukraine. However, it seems like public opinion is still marginally opposed to membership due to our somewhat special situation regarding oil, hydropower, and (lack of) agricultural land.
We are part of the EEA. The agreement between the EU and the remaining EFTA members. (Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland.)
For Norway’s part it means we adopt the legislation as national law (we can veto, but seldom happens) and are part of the inner market but not the customs union. Also special agreements on energy (oil) agriculture and fishing. We have no representation in the parliament or the commission. We participate on beurocratic level but cannot vote on anything. (I represent Norway in two 'group of experts" and two administrative cooperation groups) GoE discusses things on a higher level AdCo lower level and market surveillance.
We have a voice, but always a little bit apart.
Have a friend who was a sort-of perpetual grad student - bouncing from Sweden to Italy to Australia - over about ten years, pursuing a degree in marine biology. Along the way, she contributed thousands of hours of labor to various research teams. Eventually, she got burned out, married a neurologist, and moved to a small house in Queensland. Now she mostly just gardens and raises bunnies, which she is extraordinarily good at thanks to her education.
Was this money wasted or did the universities get exactly what they paid her for? Idk. But it seems a far better way to employ people than what we’ve done with The Pentagon or ICE.
free? people should be paid to get an education
Not sure if it’s still a thing but I knew a girl from Norway who basically went to college from age 18-30 getting like four different degrees because as long as she remained in higher education, the government would keep paying for her education + living expenses.
Not sure if that was the original intent but it sure does result in a highly educated populace.
Norway here: This is kind of how it works, but not quite.
While studying, you get a student loan. 40 % of that loan is automatically “forgiven” (turned into a stipend) as you complete your courses. In order to remain eligible for the loan, you need to maintain a certain progression in your studies, and there’s also a limit to how many years you can receive the stipend for (I think it’s eight years now). As long as you’re studying, the loan doesn’t accrue interest, and you don’t need to make down payments.
Throughout five years, I received very roughly 200k NOK (≈20k USD) in stipend, and 300k NOK in loans.
Also, a PhD is treated as an ordinary job here. I’m paid about 600k NOK (≈60k USD) per year, which is a bit less than my peers from engineering studies in industry jobs (they get around 700-800), but it’s by no means a bad pay. I’ve been able to afford a small apartment together with my SO on that pay. Hearing about places where people have to take up loans in order to finance taking a phd makes my head spin.
In America you usually do get paid for the PhD, you however get little other support snd the pay is bad
What do you mean by “little other support”? I don’t get any other “support” from my job as a phd than my salary?
Little other support as in it’s common to take on more phd candidates than there are resources for leading to issues like needing to fight to get lab time. At least according to some people I know who’ve been in phd programs here.
Huh. I just kinda assumed Norway would use the Euro, but TIL it’s not even a member of the EU. Weird.
We have a “complicated” relationship to the EU. There was a vote in the '90s where we decided not to join, and now we’re connected through the EEA (which another comment treats in detail). Today, the EU debate is rising again, largely because of the war in Ukraine. However, it seems like public opinion is still marginally opposed to membership due to our somewhat special situation regarding oil, hydropower, and (lack of) agricultural land.
We are part of the EEA. The agreement between the EU and the remaining EFTA members. (Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland.) For Norway’s part it means we adopt the legislation as national law (we can veto, but seldom happens) and are part of the inner market but not the customs union. Also special agreements on energy (oil) agriculture and fishing. We have no representation in the parliament or the commission. We participate on beurocratic level but cannot vote on anything. (I represent Norway in two 'group of experts" and two administrative cooperation groups) GoE discusses things on a higher level AdCo lower level and market surveillance. We have a voice, but always a little bit apart.
Have a friend who was a sort-of perpetual grad student - bouncing from Sweden to Italy to Australia - over about ten years, pursuing a degree in marine biology. Along the way, she contributed thousands of hours of labor to various research teams. Eventually, she got burned out, married a neurologist, and moved to a small house in Queensland. Now she mostly just gardens and raises bunnies, which she is extraordinarily good at thanks to her education.
Was this money wasted or did the universities get exactly what they paid her for? Idk. But it seems a far better way to employ people than what we’ve done with The Pentagon or ICE.
Students benefits are pretty much that where I live
From where I am anyways. You do get paid for grad school. You have to TA various things, but you get paid.