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If you’re considering studying in Denmark, you should consider looking into the Statens Uddannelsesstøtte programme. It is a state educational grant that provides financial aid from the Danish government, supporting students pursuing higher education in Denmark.
The SU provides eligible students with a monthly grant to cover living costs (rent, groceries, transport) while studying. There is no set value of an SU grant, since it varies with every person, with things like income and living situation. However, ITU, a university just below top-ranking universities in Denmark, provided these values that might help get an approximation of the amount you might receive:
“The lowest rate is 46.000 DKK (around 6200€) and the highest is 95.900 DKK (around 12800€) for a year'sstudies (60 ECTS, 2023 rates). The rate for your studies is decided by ITU and depends on the cost of a corresponding programme or course in Denmark. This means that you will receive a higher udlandsstipendium for courses within the natural sciences and a lower for courses within humanities.”
Unlike a loan, SU grant does not require repayment. That is if you set your tax right. If not, you’ll have to pay back the tax once your tax assessment notice comes out. But, if you’ve done everything correctly, the tax will be deducted from your SU automatically.
As an SU recipient, you are also allowed to work part-time, allowing you to earn extra income for your personal expenditures and providing work experience.
The eligibility varies for Danish citizens, EU/EEA citizens and people from outside the EU/EEA.
The SU grant is available to all Danish citizens and those who can be proven equal to a Danish citizen under Danish or EU law.
You have a right to apply for equal status to a Danish citizen according to EU or Danish rules.
To apply for an equal status according to the Danish rules, you must:
You only have to fulfil one of the requirements listed to be eligible for applying.
To apply for an equal status according to EU, you must:
You only have to fulfil one of the requirements listed to be eligible for applying.
If you are not a Danish or EU/EEA citizen, you must also first be granted Equal Status according to Danish law to be able to apply for the SU. This also includes British citizens who have moved to Denmark after 2021.
It is important to note though, that to get your SU, you must work 10-12 hours a week and have been doing so for 10 weeks before you apply. Failure to continue working may mean your SU payments will be stopped, and you may be asked to pay part of your SU back.
If you’re eligible for the SU, you might be wondering how the application process looks. Not to worry, we got you covered!
Before applying, make sure you have the following documents ready:
You need to fill out the online application form available on the minSU portal, as will be outlined in the later section.
The processing time for SU applications can vary, but it usually takes a few weeks. The authorities may contact you for clarification in case there are any issues or missing information in your application.
If your application is approved, you will start receiving the SU grant every month.
Once you start receiving SU, it's important to fulfil the ongoing requirements to maintain your eligibility. This includes ensuring you are working 10-12 hours per week, and completing courses at a registered educational institution in Denmark. If you fail to fulfil the requirements, the SU might be withdrawn.
SU is typically granted for a fixed period. To continue receiving SU for subsequent years, you must reapply before the deadline indicated by the authorities.
When you apply for SU for a study programme in Denmark you must:
Log in to minSU from a computer instead of a mobile device - minSU warns that they do not receive all applications completed via a mobile device.
You must complete the application for equal status three weeks at the latest after you have made your application for SU in minSU.
If you are going to receive SU from January, the earliest date for applying for SU is the 1st of December the year before, as the application for SU is accessible only from the 1st of December in minSU.
In some cases it can take a long time for the immigration authorities to process your case, so you must apply for SU in minSU and complete the application for equal status for foreign citizens at the start of your studies even though you are waiting for a residence permit from the immigration authorities.
To know how much extra you can earn while getting the SU, you need to calculate your fribeløb. Fribeløb is the name of the maximum amount you are allowed to earn while also benefitting from the SU. Everyone’s fribeløb is different and can depend on factors like:
You can estimate your fribeløb using this calculator.
SU grant is a great way for foreign students to alleviate some pressure of earning a living, allowing them to focus on their studies more. If you’re eligible for the SU and are looking for a job to fill the 10-12 hours a week required, there are plenty of firms that would be more than glad to hire you.
Often students think that those 10 hours of work per week is extremely difficult when one is doing a degree as a full-time student, but we're sure you will manage once you give it a shot! As we always mention during our workshops and webinars, often signing up for more tasks actually results in you getting better at each one of them, due to better time and stress management!
Want to learn something more about studying in Denmark or would like to connect with people that already did it?
Contact us at contact@edunade.com for any help related to that or other matters related studying abroad or acing your exams!
