When you move from home and begin your studies, there's a lot for you to keep track of. Your educational grants are one of those things — which rules apply to them? Get to know the rules for educational grants here.
For nearly 50 years, Danish students have been receiving government-funded educational grants [Danish: SU, short for Statens Uddannelsesstøtte] during their studies. You can, too, if you're an active student in a course of study that entitles you to grants.
The amount of support you can receive in grants depends on whether you choose a upper secondary youth education [Danish: ungdomsuddannelse] programme or a higher education [Danish: videregående uddannelse] programme, and whether you live at home or away from home.
In 2019, students living away from home in higher education programmes receive 6166 DKK before taxes, but these rates change slightly from year to year. That means it's important to check what the current rates are.
Apply for grants on time
You can apply for grants as early as one month before beginning your education. That means that if you begin your course of study in August, you can apply for grants in July. There is an exception for programmes starting after 20 August; in these, you aren't entitled to receive grants until September.
The deadline to apply for these grants is the last day of the month. If you miss this deadline, you won't be entitled to receive grants until the following month.
In other words, you can't retroactively apply for grants, and it's your responsibility to apply for them on time.
Grants for students living away from home
If you move away from home to begin a higher education programme, you can receive grants for students living away from home [Danish: udeboende SU].
If you were already receiving grants for students living at home [Danish: hjemmeboende SU] before moving, you don't need to do anything to change to the away-from-home type, since your grants are attached to your officially registered address — which, of course, you must remember to update no later than five days after moving.
You will be entitled to away-from-home grants beginning on the first day of the next month. That means that if you move from home on 2 August, you'll receive at-home grant payments in August, and away-from-home grant payments in September.
How much am I allowed to earn?
If you supplement your grant income with a student job, you should be aware of your exemption amount [Danish: fribeløb].
The exemption amount is the amount you may earn while also receiving grant income. If you exceed this amount, you must repay a portion of your grant income.
The exemption amount is calculated per calendar year, so it can be difficult to work out on your own how much you are allowed to earn. Fortunately, su.dk has a calculator that makes this a bit easier for you.
Where to find help
If you aren't sure what the grant rules mean for your situation, contact the grant office for your course of study.
If you have more general questions, you can contact the Danish Agency for Institutions and Educational Grants, which administers the grant system. They're on Twitter, too.
The union and unemployment insurance fund for students
The Danish Association of Masters and PhDs and the Masters' Unemployment Insurance Fund offer you inspiration and guidance to make the right decisions while you're a student and as you get started with your career.
