NOM - Statement on financing of Higher Education

In recent years, funding for higher education has been much debated in the Nordic countries. NOM (Nordisk Ordförande Möte), as the representatives of Nordic students, wants to express its concern about the direction this debate has taken.

In recent years the funding for higher education has not been reflecting the vast increase in the number of students in the Nordic countries. This has created a gap between necessary funding needed for higher education and the funding provided.

Higher education is a public good, public responsibility and should be equally accessible to all. Higher education is not only beneficiary for the individual student but the society as a whole. Publicly provided education is one of the corner stones in the Nordic welfare society and it is important that we, the Nordic countries, guard our common principle of equally accessible education.

In this context NOM believes that the debate on funding for higher education has been too focused on tuition fees. NOM is opposed to the introduction of any kind of tuition fees. In order to provide the necessary funding for increased demand for higher education NOM recommends increased public funding along with possible alternative sources of private funding. Alternative sources of private funding must be considered carefully and NOM stresses that such funding should under no circumstances threaten the integrity and academic freedom of the higher education institutions.

NOM challenges the governments of the Nordic countries to work with student representatives to find a permanent form of funding for higher education. Such a solution should be based on equal access to higher education and the general perception of higher education as an investment in society.