You may have heard from friends that they get money each month from the Swedish government. Perhaps you are wondering what this is all about. The Quirky Quibbler decided to investigate this student allowance and bring you all the facts.

What is CSN?

CSN is the Swedish Board of Student Finance. It is the government agency that manages Swedish student finance. Its job is to manage grants and loans for studies. It is important for SIS students to know because CSN provides a study allowance for students at upper secondary school, aged 20 or younger. Let’s find out more about what this study allowance is. 

What is Study Allowance?

When you reach the age of 16, you can receive a grant from CSN if you are studying full time at an upper secondary school. The amount is SEK 1250 per month. You can receive this study allowance until you turn 20. In most cases, you will start receiving the study allowance from the first quarter you turn 16 until the spring semester you turn 20. When you are under 18, your guardian receives the money for you. After you turn 18, you will receive the grant yourself. 

Anything We Should Know?

There are a few conditions that have to be met in order to receive the study allowance. You must be attending an upper-secondary level and must be studying full-time. If you are a Swedish citizen, you do not need to apply because the school will provide the information that is needed. However, if you have a foreign nationality, you must have lived in Sweden for 2 years to receive your study grant. In SIS, the admission office will ask for your personal number and you will be able to receive your study grant when you meet the requirements. However, as there are exceptions I recommend you to check the specific requirements which can be found in this link.

Additionally, there is also something that everybody should know. You may not receive your payment if you are absent without a valid reason. An invalid absence will be determined by the school. For example, repeated absences, being late to school, and unapproved holidays can be considered as an invalid absence. If you have more than 4 hours of invalid absence during a month, the school will notify this to CSN and the payment will be stopped.

In conclusion, it is good to have some knowledge about what the CSN is, as it is beneficial for not only Swedish students but also international students.