The report follows students who received financial support from Lånekassen in the autumn of 2016 and who entered higher education that year. In 2016, 4 percent of students had income above the threshold, but during the period 2017–2021, 1 out of 10 exceeded the income threshold each year. It is most common for students to exceed the threshold by up to NOK 45,000, or by NOK 90,000 or more. Exceeding the threshold becomes more common with age, and part-time students exceed the threshold more often than full-time students. Among all students who received support from Lånekassen for at least three years from 2016 to 2021, one in four exceeded the income threshold at least one year. Income from work is the most important income source. This applies both to students whose income exceeds the threshold and to students with income below the threshold.

During the period 2016–2021, 3 to 5 percent of students had assets exceeding the threshold. It is as common to exceed the threshold by up to NOK 250,000 as it is to exceed it by more than NOK 250,000. Having assets above the thresholds is also related to age: the older the students are, the higher the share with assets above the threshold. Among all students who received support for at least three years during 2016–2021, 8 percent exceeded the asset threshold in at least one year. Most students exceeded it for one to two years, and only 2 percent do so for three years or more. Among students whose assets exceed the threshold, it is more common to be registered with wealth in housing than among students with assets below the threshold, and the more assets students have, the higher the median value of the primary dwelling.

Regarding academic progression, there are only small differences in the share of students who do not earn any credits during a calendar year when we compare students with income above and below the threshold. Yet, students with income below the threshold are more likely to complete 60 credits, and a larger share of this group completes a long degree in higher education. At the same time, it is more common among students with income below the threshold not to complete a degree. Overall, there are small differences in the progression of students with assets above and below the threshold. However, among male students and full-time students, those with assets above the threshold have better progression than students with assets below the threshold. Among students whose assets exceed the threshold, the proportion completing a degree is higher than among students with assets below the threshold and completing a degree a long degree in higher education is more common. Academic progression and completion of a degree vary with student characteristics. When analysing differences, it is important to keep in mind that students with income or assets above the threshold are more likely to be older and to study part-time than students with assets below the threshold.

The amount of student debt in 2021, as well as the amount students repay from 2021 to 2024, varies between groups of students. Student loan repayment depends on the size of the loan, the interest rate, and the repayment period, and we find only small differences between students whose income or assets exceeded the threshold and those whose income or assets did not. When we compare the size of student loans to students’ income after-tax 2024, students who exceeded the income threshold for one or two years stand out, as their student debt constitutes the smallest share of their income. Also among students with assets above the threshold one or two years, student debt constitutes a lower share of their income than in other groups. This may indicate that these two groups are better positioned to repay their student debt than other groups, as they have higher levels of income available to repay their debt.