The supplementary grant for reduced functional ability is available to individuals who are eligible to receive basic support from Lånekassen and who have functional impairments that prevent them from having paid employment alongside their studies. The report shows a significant increase in the number of recipients of the supplementary grant for reduced functional ability in higher education. The proportion has risen from about one percent of students receiving grants and loans from Lånekassen in the academic year 2013/2014 to nearly six percent in 2023/2024. Those who received the supplementary grant were more often women, younger in age, without an immigrant background, and had parents with higher education.
Just under half of those who received the supplementary grant for reduced functional ability received it from the semester they began their education in 2017/2018. This means that many receive the grant for the first time later in their studies, which may be due to developing a reduced functional ability over time or not being aware of the grant at the start of their studies.
It is also very common that students have semesters where they do not receive the additional grant for reduced functional ability. Among those who received the grant from the beginning of their studies, half of them went through at least one semester without it. We see the same pattern among those who were granted the supplementary grant for reduced functional ability for the first time during their studies—half had at least one semester without the grant after first receiving it.
It is also possible to receive a basic loan during the summer due to reduced functional ability, on the grounds that one cannot obtain or hold a job during the summer. These students may receive either just the basic loan or the supplementary grant as well. One in four of those who received the supplementary grant for reduced functional ability in the autumn and spring also received a basic loan in at least one summer semester for the same reason. There was a higher proportion of older students who received the summer basic loan compared to younger students.
Among those who received the supplementary grant for reduced functional ability at least once during their studies, nearly half completed their education within the standard time frame (47 percent). This is ten percentage points lower than for other students, i.e., those who did not receive the grant during their studies. A larger proportion of those who received the grant needed more time to complete their education. Completion rates were lower among those who received the grant intermittently compared to those who received it throughout their entire study period. Students who received the basic loan due to reduced functional ability during the summer had the lowest completion rate within the standard time frame of all subgroups, which may be due to having a disability that prevents them from working even during free periods outside the autumn and spring semesters.
There are significant differences in employment rates after completing education, with employment consistently being lower among those who received the supplementary grant for reduced functional ability during their studies. The lowest employment rates after completing on time were found among those who received the grant intermittently and those who received grants and or/loans due to reduced functional ability during the summer. Once employed, there are only minor differences in full-time and part-time work between those who received the grant throughout their study period and other students.
The report is funded by the Ministry of Education and Research.