Umeå University reaches goal for tuition-paying students
NEWS
As of autumn 2011, it is no longer free of charge for students from countries outside of the EU/EEA to study at Swedish higher education institutions. The decrease of non-European students is seen to be high throughout Sweden. But according to the first figures from higher education officials, Umeå University is show to have reached their target with 55 tuition-paying students.
The Swedish National Agency for Higher Education has compiled the number of non-European students who have paid the new tuition fees to universities and university colleges. A total of1,280 students had paid their fees and 14 universities have fewer than 20 tuition-paying students. The preliminary data shows how many students outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland have been admitted and how many are paid tuition, including scholarship recipients.
The institution with the greatest number of tuition-paying non-European students is Lund University with 532 admitted students and 209 that have paid tuition to date. Linköping University had the most admitted students with 647, but only 39 have paid tuition.
Umeå University admitted a total of 233 students and 55 of them have paid tuition, according to the preliminary figures. The outcome is strong in comparison with Karolinska Institute with 56 admitted and 22 tution-paying students, and University of Gothenburg with 165 admitted and 37 tuition-paying students.
A strong international aspect in education is essential for Umeå University and the new tuition fees are a concern, according to Anders Fällström, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Education:
It is vital that our students in Umeå experience an international environment, but foreign students are also of great importance for the whole of Sweden as a nation. To some extent, we here in Umeå are pleased to have reached our goal. However, this is a significant decline from previous years and we now need to increase our target expectations, but we should be aware that this is a very lengthy process. My belief is that new kinds of scholarship funding programmes from the Swedish government are needed.
Umeå University has been engaged with local and regional organisations to offer scholarships and funding support for tuition-paying international students.
"Through collaboration with Balticgruppen (property management company) and Umeå University, the university has been able to provide scholarships to students that otherwise would not have had the possibility to enrol, such as to Umeå Institute of Design," says Anders Fällström.
For further information, please contact:
Anders FällströmDeputy Vice-Chancellor for Education, Umeå UniversityMobile: +46 (0)70-493 85 27 E-most: anders.fallstrom@adm.umu.se
