Sweden’s CSN student aid rules will undergo a broad government review that could change how much students may earn, how long they can receive financial support and whether they can retain it during part-time sick leave. The inquiry was appointed on 21 July and must submit its proposals by 29 October 2027.
The government says the current system remains broadly effective but has not received a comprehensive review since its introduction in 2001. Since then, the structure of higher education, the number and profiles of students and the needs of the labour market have changed.
The review covers the student grants and loans administered by the Swedish Board of Student Finance (Centrala studiestödsnämnden, CSN) for higher education, adult education and some other eligible courses.
CSN earnings limit could change
One of the main issues is the fribelopp, the income threshold determining how much a student may earn before their CSN grant and loan entitlement is reduced.
For a student receiving financial aid for 20 weeks of full-time study, the threshold is SEK 114,676 per six-month period in 2026, around €10,400. The precise limit varies according to the length and intensity of the studies.
According to the government’s inquiry directives, the investigator must propose levels that provide students with sufficient opportunities to work without encouraging employment that could delay their studies.
The government also wants the income assessment to rely more closely on current monthly information submitted by employers to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket). The present system assesses income over calendar half-years, which can lead to students receiving more aid than they are entitled to and later facing repayment demands.
Summer earnings may be excluded
The inquiry will examine whether income earned during the summer break should be excluded from the CSN assessment.
Minister for Upper Secondary Education, Higher Education and Research (gymnasie-, högskole- och forskningsminister) Lotta Edholm said students should not be penalised for taking summer jobs and acquiring work experience.
“The starting point is that money earned during the summer months should not be counted,” Edholm said at the press conference announcing the review, according to TV4.
The inquiry has nevertheless been given discretion over the final design. It will assess whether summer income can be excluded while maintaining effective controls against incorrect payments and unreported earnings.
A previous government inquiry considered a similar exemption but recommended a higher income threshold during the second half of the year instead. That proposal was not implemented.
Longer courses put the six-year limit under pressure
The government has also asked the investigator to assess whether the maximum period for receiving student aid remains appropriate.
Under the existing system, support for studies at university level is normally available for up to 240 weeks, equivalent to six years of full-time education. That can create difficulties for students entering a long programme after previously completing another course.
Medical education, for example, may itself require six years of full-time study. Someone who has already used part of their CSN entitlement could therefore run out of support before completing the programme.
“It should not be financial constraints that determine whether Sweden, for example, should have more doctors,” Edholm said, according to Sweden Herald.
The inquiry will examine how the system could respond more effectively to long educational programmes and changing labour-market demand. It must also consider whether student aid encourages timely completion and a faster transition into employment.
Part-time sick leave under review
Another part of the mandate concerns students whose ability to study is reduced by illness.
The government considers the current rules for combining part-time sick leave with student aid too restrictive and available only in limited circumstances. The investigator will assess whether eligibility should be broadened while ensuring that decisions remain predictable, legally robust and resistant to misuse.
The review does not cover the transition study support scheme (omställningsstudiestödet), financial assistance for upper-secondary school pupils or the rules governing repayment of student loans.
The special investigator is Henrik Ardhede, chief judge at the Administrative Court in Gothenburg (Förvaltningsrätten i Göteborg). His proposals could lead to one of the most extensive revisions of Sweden’s student finance system in more than two decades, but no immediate change to CSN entitlements has yet been approved.
