Dare to start studying

Does starting to study feel like too difficult a step? Sometimes it’s enough to think in slightly new ways. Here are some tips.

How to sort out the finances

For most education and training, you can get a study allowance from CSN (the Swedish Board of Student Finance) in the form of grants and loans. You can read more about how it works on CSN’s website. You can also calculate how much you would get as a grant and loan.

You can also get study start support via CSN. Study start support is a grant that some unemployed people can receive for adult education through the municipality or folk high school. The grant means that there is no need to take out a loan. The municipality decides if you are in the group that can receive study start support.

CSN.se - Grants and loans

You can study with support from Arbetsförmedlingen if you need it to get closer to a job. For example, this could be studying with activity support, development allowance or introduction benefit. Arbetsförmedlingen assesses whether you need to study with compensation from Arbetsförmedlingen. It is therefore important to contact us first, to find out whether you qualify for this.

Study allowance for education at secondary and upper secondary level

Study allowance for education at vocational college, university college and university

If you choose remote studies, perhaps you could also work. In this case, it is important to know about CSN’s free amount. The free amount is the amount of money you can earn without affecting your right to an allowance.

CSN.se – Free amount (in Swedish)

A short course could lead to employment quickly

You don’t need to study at college for several years to get a job. A shorter, occupationally-oriented course of about a year and a half is often a quick route to a job. And many occupations which require shorter training have a shortage of manpower, so it is easy to find a job at the moment. Remember that this kind of shorter vocational training is available at a number of places, including vocational colleges and municipal adult education, for example. This means that several paths could lead to the same occupation.

Training and education paths

Is the school too far away?

If the education or training you are interested in is far from where you live, perhaps you should consider remote study as an alternative. Remote study gives you more freedom because you are not bound to a specific place.

Studera.nu – Remote study (in Swedish)

Study when you have children

If you have children, you can get extra support over and above the student aid from CSN. How much you get depends on whether you study full-time or part-time and also how many children you have. If you need to stay home and look after a sick child, you can keep your grant and loan from CSN. Read more about how it works on CSN’s website.

CSN.se – Information for those with children (in Swedish)

Study and learn Swedish at the same time

Do you want to study but need to improve your Swedish? At some schools and courses, you can take vocational education, for example, and learn the Swedish language at the same time. Contact municipal adult education where you live, or a folk high school, and find out what kind of education or training with language support they may have.

Study with a disability

If you have a disability, you can get various types of support when you study. For example, you can get learning support through adapted literature, extra guidance or an interpreter. Universities and university colleges have dedicated contact persons for those with a disability.

Studera.nu – Study with a disability (in Swedish)

A number of folk high schools have specially adapted education and training for people with a disability. Take a look at the folk high schools’ websites and find out what support there is and which courses have been specially adapted. You can find courses adapted for various kinds of disabilities at the Swedish folk high school website.

Folkhogskola.nu – Search for courses (in Swedish)

Click the “Advanced filter” button and select the disability you wish to search for.

If you are registered as a jobseeker with us and taking part in some of our training and education programmes, you can get learning support and aids.

Individual educational support during training

Five tips if you are feeling uncertain

Is your self-confidence not at its best when you think about studying? Here are a few things to think about that will make it easier for you to take the next step towards study.

  • There are many different forms of education and training. You can study remotely, you can use theory and practice and there are various kinds of support you can get while you study. You can choose between full-time and part-time studies. There could be more options than you think.
  • Look out for information meetings where schools present their courses and you have the chance to ask questions. This makes it easier to get an idea of what the education or training will be like.
  • Try an evening or remote course, go to a presentation or look at the course literature. You get a feeling for what the actual study will be like and whether it is right for you.
  • Many schools offer various forms of support. This could be help with study techniques, writing or study guidance, for example.
  • Starting to study later in life has its advantages! You have learned more about yourself and gained other experiences that will help you while you study.