Scholarships to Study in Norway Without IELTS

If you have spent any time researching how to study in Norway without IELTS, you have probably run into a wall of scattered, contradictory information. Norway is genuinely one of the more welcoming countries for English-taught degrees, and it is true that many universities do not ask for an IELTS or TOEFL score before admission. But here is what most guides skip over: almost none of Norway’s public universities hand out their own scholarships to international students. This article walks through what is actually available, who really funds international students in Norway, and the three routes you can use to skip the IELTS requirement altogether.

Is Education Really Free in Norway?

Let us clear up the biggest misconception first, because it shapes everything else in this guide. Education in Norway is not free for everyone, and treating it that way will set you up for disappointment.

• Citizens of EU, EEA, and Swiss countries pay no tuition at public universities, aside from a small semester fee covering student union membership and welfare services, usually somewhere between NOK 300 and 700.
• Students from outside the EU/EEA generally do pay tuition at public universities now. Norway changed this policy in autumn 2023, and fees differ by school and program, so never rely on an old figure you found online.
• PhD candidates remain tuition-free almost everywhere in Norway, regardless of nationality, and most PhD positions actually come with a paid employment contract attached.

This is exactly why the scholarships and funded programs below matter so much for non-EU/EEA applicants. Without one of these, you are covering the full cost yourself.

Weighing a Nordic neighbor too? You may also want to check this real cost and scholarship guide for studying in Finland.

Types Of Scholarships You Can Actually Get

Funding for international students in Norway falls into four general buckets, and knowing which one fits your situation saves you from applying blindly everywhere.

1. Government-funded scholarships are historically Norway’s biggest source, though this category has shrunk sharply in recent years.
2. University-funded scholarships though rare in Norway. Public schools like Oslo, NTNU, Bergen, and Stavanger state outright that they do not offer scholarships to international students. BI Norwegian Business School, a private institution, is the main exception.
3. EU-funded scholarships with programs such as Erasmus+ and Erasmus Mundus fund study or exchange periods in Norway as part of wider European mobility schemes. A similar EU-funded route worth comparing is the Jean Monnet Scholarship Programme in Türkiye.
4. External and private scholarships such as foundations and bilateral agreements that fund study specifically in Norway.

Where Norway’s Government Scholarships Stand Today

Norway’s government funding landscape has shifted considerably, and a good number of guides you will find online are simply outdated. Here is the current picture.

The Norwegian Quota Scheme, once the country’s flagship scholarship for students from developing nations, Central and Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, has been discontinued. You cannot apply through it anymore, no matter what an older article tells you.

NORPART, the Norwegian Partnership Programme for Global Academic Cooperation, funds institutional partnerships rather than individual applications. It occasionally produces a handful of full-degree master’s scholarships through partner institutions in the Global South, but the government has already signaled it is winding the program down, and existing projects will simply run to completion.

University Scholarships: BI Is The Exception

Here is something worth repeating, because it trips up so many applicants: almost every Norwegian public university states, in writing, that it does not run its own scholarship program for international students. This is not an oversight. Public institutions in Norway are funded by the state, and that funding is generally restricted from covering individual students’ living or tuition costs. So when a university website has a page titled “financing information,” it is usually pointing you toward third-party options, not describing money the school itself hands out.

The one real exception is BI Norwegian Business School, Norway’s largest private business school. Because BI operates as an independent, not-for-profit institution rather than a state-funded one, it runs genuine, well-funded entrance scholarships worth looking into if business, economics, or communication is your field.

Universities With Real, Direct Scholarships

BI Norwegian Business School Scholarships

BI awards several entrance scholarships automatically when you apply for admission, meaning most of them do not require a separate application form.

• The BI Presidential Scholarship covers master’s students with a top-tier GPA (an “A” on the ECTS scale or equivalent) applying to campus Oslo or campus Bergen.
• The A. Wilhelmsen Foundation Scholarship Programme awards two scholarships each intake and requires recipients to maintain a minimum “B” average while acting as a BI ambassador during their studies.
• The Future African Leader Scholarship targets outstanding applicants from African countries.
• The Financial Aid Award offers tuition waivers, currently up to 10 places, to applicants living in Norway under collective protection or refugee status.

For most of these, submitting a strong scholarship letter alongside your admission application is all it takes. Several BI scholarships close on 1 March for the 2026 intake, so mark your calendar early.

Public Universities: Good For Funding Information, Not Actual Scholarships

The pages below are genuinely useful when you are budgeting and hunting for outside funding, but read them carefully as every one of these schools states plainly that it does not offer its own scholarships for full degree programs.

• University of Oslo (UiO) – admission and tuition information only
• NTNU – lists third-party options only, including the Anglo-Norse Society award for British citizens and Erasmus Mundus loans
• University of Bergen (UiB) – confirms no scholarships and points students to external funding
• University of Stavanger (UiS) – confirms no scholarships for incoming international students
• Nord University – confirms no scholarships or grants
• OsloMet – confirms no scholarships and points to Study in Norway and the EU Scholarship Portal
• Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) – confirms no scholarships for bachelor’s or master’s students
• UiT The Arctic University of Norway – its scholarships page describes external sources only

Bookmark these for tuition figures and deadlines, not for scholarship hunting.

Nationality-Specific And Foundation Scholarships

A handful of foundations and bilateral programs fund study specifically in Norway, though most restrict eligibility to one nationality. If you’d rather compare a non-Nordic option with its own funding breakdown, it’s worth reading through the full breakdown of University of Porto scholarships as well.

If you do not hold US citizenship, check your own country’s ministry of education, national scholarship board, or any bilateral cultural agreement with Norway. Several countries still run something similar, even though Norway’s own government scholarships have largely wound down.

Public Universities To Check For Low Or Waived Tuition

These are the public institutions most commonly researched for tuition-free or reduced-fee study, alongside BI as the only private school with entrance scholarships attached: University of Oslo, NTNU, University of Bergen, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, University of Stavanger, University of Agder, Nord University, OsloMet, NMBU, BI Norwegian Business School (private, tuition applies to everyone), Oslo School of Architecture and Design, Molde University College, MF Norwegian School of Theology, and the University Centre in Svalbard.

Confirm the exact current tuition and IELTS-exemption policy directly on each school’s website, since rules change from year to year.

Eligibility Criteria

Requirements shift by university and program, but most applications for study in Norway share the same baseline:

• Completed secondary education for bachelor’s applicants, or a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree for master’s or PhD applicants, backed by official transcripts.
• Proof of English proficiency through IELTS, TOEFL, or one of the accepted exemptions covered below.
• A valid passport, and, for non-EU/EEA applicants, an approved student residence permit from the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
• Proof of sufficient funds to cover living costs. For the current academic year, UDI requires documentation of roughly NOK 166,859 for a full year, and the figure gets reviewed annually, so always check the current amount before applying.
• Program-specific documents such as a statement of purpose, CV, recommendation letters, or a portfolio, depending on your field.

How To Study In Norway Without IELTS

There are three main routes international students use to skip the IELTS requirement in Norway.

1. Prior education taught in English

If your most recent qualification, whether secondary school, bachelor’s, or master’s, was taught fully in English, most Norwegian universities will accept that in place of a test score. You will typically need to request an official English Medium of Instruction (EMI) letter or English Proficiency Certificate from your previous school confirming this.

2. Recognized secondary-level qualifications

Several English-medium secondary qualifications are commonly accepted as automatic exemptions, though the exact list differs by institution. These include the General Certificate of Education (O-Level/A-Level), the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE), the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), the South African Senior/Matriculation Certificate, the East African and Uganda Advanced Certificates of Education, Tanzania’s Certificate/Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education, the Malawi School Certificate of Education, and the Cambridge Overseas School Certificate.

Holding a WASSCE certificate and considering other IELTS-free routes too? You may also want to check this guide on how Nigerian students can study in Poland without IELTS on a full scholarship.

3. Online English assessment or a short interview

Some universities run a brief online English assessment or video interview instead of demanding a standardized test score. This usually happens only after your academic application has already been provisionally approved.

If none of these apply to you, reach out to the admissions office directly. Many schools will still accept an official English proficiency letter from your previous institution.

Norway isn’t the only country skipping the test. You may also want to compare this guide to 10 Austria scholarships you can get without IELTS and this one on fully funded scholarships to study in Spain without IELTS.

Documents You Will Typically Need

Gathering these ahead of time speeds up the whole process considerably. For a fuller walkthrough of what each one involves, this guide to the documents you need to study abroad covers the details:

• Academic transcripts and degree certificates, with certified translations if they are not already in English or Norwegian.
• English proficiency proof or your IELTS-exemption letter.
• A valid passport with enough remaining validity.
• A CV or résumé and a statement of purpose tailored to your chosen program.
• Two or more academic or professional recommendation letters.
• Proof of funds for living costs, for your residence permit application.
• A portfolio or writing sample, where the program requires one, common in design, architecture, and research-based degrees.

How To Apply

1. Shortlist universities and programs that match your field of study, then confirm each one’s current tuition and IELTS-exemption policy directly on their site.
2. Identify realistic funding sources. Since Norway’s government scholarships have mostly been discontinued and most public universities do not fund international students, focus your energy on Erasmus Mundus, nationality-specific bilateral or foundation scholarships, or a salaried PhD position.
3. Check the specific scholarship and admission deadlines for your chosen program.
4. Prepare your documents, everything listed in the section above.
5. Apply through Samordna Opptak for most bachelor’s programs, or directly through the university’s own portal for most master’s and PhD programs. Norway’s official application portal for international students is Study in Norway.
6. Apply for scholarships or funding wherever it is genuinely available. BI’s entrance scholarships apply alongside your admission, while Erasmus Mundus and bilateral programs like Fulbright run their own separate applications and deadlines.
7. Apply for your student residence permit through UDI once you receive your offer letter, if you hold a non-EU/EEA passport.
8. Arrange proof of funds and accommodation ahead of your visa interview or permit decision.

Benefits Of Studying In Norway

• Access to internationally ranked universities with strong research output, particularly in engineering, marine science, energy, and social sciences.
• A wide range of English-taught programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD level.
• Tuition-free study for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, and tuition-free PhD study for every nationality.
• EU-level and bilateral funding routes, like Erasmus Mundus, that can offset tuition costs for eligible non-EU/EEA applicants.
• A high standard of living, safety, and work-life balance that consistently ranks among the best in the world.
• A post-study job-seeker permit for graduates who want to stay and work after finishing their degree.
• Multicultural student communities across cities like Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim, and Stavanger.
• The right to work part-time alongside your studies, for most residence-permit holders, within permit conditions.

Application Deadlines

Deadlines follow a fairly consistent pattern each year, even though the specific dates shift annually, so plan around the pattern rather than a fixed date.

• Bachelor’s programs run through Samordna Opptak on a single annual admission cycle, with earlier deadlines for non-EU/EEA applicants.
• Master’s programs typically open applications several months before the autumn intake, again with earlier deadlines for non-EU/EEA applicants.
• PhD positions get posted year-round as individual vacancies, so apply as soon as a relevant role appears.

Always confirm the exact current deadline on the official university or Study in Norway page rather than trusting an older article.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Norway completely free for international students?

No, not for everyone. EU/EEA and Swiss citizens study tuition-free at public universities, and so do PhD candidates of any nationality. Non-EU/EEA bachelor’s and master’s students generally pay tuition, and each university sets its own fee, so check your target school’s current rate rather than an older figure.

Can I study in Norway without taking IELTS?

Yes. Many Norwegian universities waive IELTS for applicants who completed their previous education in English, hold a recognized English-medium secondary qualification, or complete an online English assessment or interview arranged by the university. Requirements differ by institution, so confirm the exact policy with your chosen school.

Which Norwegian universities are tuition-free?

Public schools such as the University of Oslo, NTNU, and the University of Bergen remain tuition-free for EU/EEA and Swiss citizens, and for PhD students of any nationality. Non-EU/EEA bachelor’s and master’s applicants generally pay tuition at these same schools, so check current rates before you apply.

What documents prove that I do not need IELTS?

You typically need an official letter from your previous school confirming that your education was taught and examined in English. Some universities also accept recognized secondary exam board certificates, such as GCE O-Level/A-Level or WASSCE, as automatic proof.