Ordinance on application fees and tuition fees at higher education institutions (2010:543)

Department/Agency: Ministry of Education and Research, Sweden
Issued 27 May 2010

This translation is for information purposes only and has no legal force. In the event of discrepancies, the Swedish-language version takes precedence.

Section 1

Application fees

Section 2  

1. is a member of the family of a citizen of an EEA state and has entitlement to residence or to permanent residence in Sweden pursuant to Sections 4 or 7 of Chapter 3a of the Aliens Act (2005:716),
   
2. is a member of the family of a Swiss citizen and has entitlement to residence or a residence permit in Sweden pursuant to Section 16 of Chapter 4 of the Ordinance on Aliens (2006:97),
   
3. has a permanent residence permit in Sweden,
   
4. has a temporary residence permit in Sweden for reasons other than study,
   
5. has the status of a long-term resident in Sweden pursuant to Chapter 5a of the Aliens Act,
   
6. has the status of a long-term resident in another state in the EU and has a residence permit in Sweden pursuant to Section 9 of Chapter 4 of the Ordinance on Aliens,
   
7. is a student at a higher education institution abroad but is completing a limited section of a programme of study at a Swedish higher education institution within the framework of an exchange programme of partnership programme which means that no tuition fee is charged by the receiving higher education institution,
   
8. is applying for or is studying on a programme within the framework of an exchange programme or partnership programme for which the Government has decided no tuition fee is to be charged,
   
9. is applying for a programme within the framework of an exchange programme or partnership programme for which the Government has decided no application fee is to be charged, or
   
10. is registered on a programme of study at a Swedish higher education institution, or
    
11. does not have a residence permit, but has previously been granted a temporary residence permit in Sweden for reasons other than study that has expired, if an application for an extended residence permit was submitted to the Swedish Migration Agency before the previous permit expired and the application is for an extended permit on the same basis or for a new permit pursuant to Section 5 of the Act on residence permits for students at upper secondary level (2017:353). Ordinance (2021:800)

Section 2a

An application fee must not be charged to British citizens or their family members who are covered by Article 10 of the Agreement on the on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (EUT L 29, 31.1.2020, p. 7).

Ordinance (2020:762).

Section 3  

If an application fee has not yet been paid when a higher education institution makes a decision the application shall not be appraised.

Section  4  

A higher education institution may repay an application fee if there are special grounds for doing so.

Tuition fees

Section 5  

A higher education institution shall charge tuition fees for first and second-cycle programmes for those who are not citizens of an EEA state or Switzerland (third country citizens).

These fees are not, however, to be charged for the third country citizens referred to in items 1—8 of the second paragraph of Section 2 above.

Nor are these fees to be charged for the third country citizens referred to in item 11 of the second paragraph of Section2. If an application for a residence permit as referenced there is rejected, no tuition fees are no be charged for the period until the deadline for voluntary departure pursuant to the first paragraph of Section 21 of Chapter 8 of the Aliens Act (2005:716) has expired. If the decision to reject the application does not include a deadline for voluntary departure, no tuition fees are no be charged for the period until the decision enters into force. Ordinance (2017:861).

Section 5a  

Tuition fees must not be charged to British nationals or their family members who are covered by Article 10 of the Agreement on the on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (EUT L 29, 31.1.2020, p. 7).

Ordinance (2020:762).

Section 5b  

Has been repealed by ordinance (2020:762).

Section 5c

Has been repealed by ordinance (2020:762).

Section 6

The higher education institution shall calculate the tuition fees so that full coverage of costs is provided for the activities funded by fees in their entirety.

Tuition fees are to be the same for all students required to pay tuition fees on the same programme of study at the same time. This does not apply, however, if a decision by the Government on tuition fees for those studying within the framework of an exchange programme or partnership programme has some other effect.

If a higher education institution has awarded an applicant or a student a scholarship in respect of tuition fees, the tuition fees may be reduced by the amount corresponding to the scholarship. Ordinance (2011:303).

Section 6a

A higher education institution may issue regulations on the size of the tuition fees. Ordinance (2011:303).

Section 7

After consultation with the Swedish Migration Agency a higher education institution may decide the date on which tuition fees shall be paid.

Section 8

In order to be admitted to a programme of study an applicant required to pay tuition fees shall pay the fees no later than the date referred to in Section 7.

If a programme of study comprises more than 30 higher education credits, a higher education institution may decide that tuition fees may be paid in instalments and that payment of the first instalment is adequate for admission. The first instalment may not be less than the tuition fees for the first 30 higher education credits.

Section  9

A student who has paid a first instalment as laid down in the second paragraph of Section 8 and has begun her or his studies, shall pay the remaining instalments of the tuition fees at the times determined by the higher education institution.

Section  10  

If the remaining instalments of the tuition fees are not paid within the stipulated time, the higher education institution shall remind the student to pay the fees by a specific date. If the fees are not paid by the date specified in the reminder, the higher education institution shall expel the student from the programme until the payment has been made. Students are to be informed of this in the reminder.

An expulsion decision means that the student may not participate in classes, examinations or any other activity within the framework of the programme of study at the higher education institution. The higher education institution may also, in individual cases, decide that degree certificates and course certificates may not be issued before the fees have been paid.

Section 11  

A decision to expel a student who has not paid tuition fees shall apply immediately.

Section 12  

If a student has paid tuition fees but is no longer required to do so pursuant to Section 5, the higher education institution may repay that part of the fees that cover the section of the programme of study for which the student is not required to pay tuition fees.

A higher education institution may also in other cases repay tuition fees either in part or in their entirety if a student is prevented for special reasons from participating in the programme of study.

Section 13  

Appeal may be made against a decision to expel a student who has not paid tuition fees to the Higher Education Appeals Board. No appeal may be made against the decisions of the board.

Disclosure of information

Section 14

The Swedish Migration Agency shall, if requested by a higher education institution or the Swedish Council for Higher Education, disclose information based on the data in the Swedish Migration Agency´s operational register on whether an applicant or a student belongs to one of the group of people that pursuant to Sections 2 or 5 are required to pay application fees or tuition fees. Ordinance (2020:762).

Exemption from the Ordinance on Fees

Section 15  

The first paragraph of Section 7 of the Ordinance on Fees (1992:191) does not apply to application fees or tuition fees.

Entry into effect and transitional provisions

2010:543

1. This ordinance comes into effect on 1 July 2010 and is to apply for the first time to programmes that are intended to be offered after 31 July 2011.
2. A student who shall pay tuition fees pursuant to Section 5 may complete a course or a programme of study without paying tuition fees, if the course or programme of study commenced before 1 July 2011. If the studies are not completed by 31 December 2018, however, tuition fees are to be paid for the subsequent period.
3. A student required to pay an application fee pursuant to Section 2 or tuition fees pursuant to Section 5 may be admitted to and complete a course without paying an application fee or tuition fees if the course begins after 1 June 2011 but is to be completed no later than 31 August 2011.

2020:762

1. This ordinance enters into effect on 14 September 2020.
2. The provisions in Section 2 in their new wording will first be applied to admissions to courses and programmes that start after 31 December 2020.
3. The provisions in Section 5 a in their new wording will first be applied to admissions to courses and programmes that start after 31 December 2020.