NORSTIP

In autumn 2023, the government announced the establishment of a scholarship scheme for students from countries outside the EEA and Switzerland, financed through the development aid budget. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has defined the framework for the scheme, and the Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir) is managing it.

In spring 2024, 18 Norwegian institutions received funding from HK-dir to admit 216 NORSTIP students for the 2024 and 2025 academic years. The first 56 students arrived in Norway in autumn 2024, and approximately 160 new students are expected to be awarded NORSTIP scholarships for studies starting in autumn 2025.

When the scheme is fully operational, there will be approximately 200 NORSTIP students at Norwegian higher education institutions at any given time. A new allocation of funding from NORSTIP is planned for the academic years 2026 and 2027.

The purpose of NORSTIP is to contribute to economic development and welfare in selected partner countries. Through student mobility to Norwegian higher education institutions, the scheme aims to educate qualified candidates for the workforce in the students' home countries and to strengthen knowledge in subject areas needed by the partner countries.

A key element of NORSTIP is the expectation that students will return to their home countries after completing their education in Norway.

Support NORPART and NORHED

NORSTIP complements other Norwegian programs for academic cooperation with the Global South, such as NORPART and NORHED and aims to strengthen collaborations, recruit for future research, and facilitate more strategic partnerships.

The Norwegian host institutions are responsible for defining which accredited English-taught master's programs at their institution that are relevant for the scholarship scheme within the following thematic priorities: Education

• Health
• Climate and natural resource management
• Energy
• Political and economic governance
• Humanities and social sciences

Scholarship recipients must be recruited through institutional collaboration between Norwegian higher education institutions and the recipient's home institution.

The target group for NORSTIP scholarships includes employees and students at Norwegian higher education institutions' partner institutions in selected partner countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, aged 20–30 years, without a previous master's degree. Scholarship recipients must be citizens and residents of a selected partner country. Scholarship recipients must be recruited through institutional collaboration between Norwegian higher education institutions and the recipient's home institution.

Applications from individual students are not possible under the scheme.