2022

Government proposal for a new and improved admissions system in higher education

June 2022

The Danish government has presented a proposal on how to improve the admissions system in higher education and invited the parties of the Parliament to negotiations. The government proposal encompasses four political objectives:

1. A balanced focus on marks and a healthy learning culture;
2. A better match between the applicant and the education programme;
3. Increased social mobility;
4. Several and more transparent ways into higher education.

The purpose of the proposal is to address challenges in the present system such as an unhealthy culture of perfection and increasing scramble for higher marks, a not well-considered choice of education for some applicants, too unequal ways into the higher education system, and a too complex admissions system.

The government proposes four initiatives:

1. More suitable use of marks in quota one*;
2. A more suitable admission through quota two;
3. More homogenous and transparent screening;
4. A more reflective choice of education programmes.

The government substantiates each initiative with specific suggestions on how to fulfil the objectives and improve the admissions system:

• Regarding a more suitable use of marks in quota one, the government proposes a maximum required average mark of ten and that selection on educational programmes with a required average mark of ten or higher is to be based on a subject-specific assessment;
• Proposals for a more suitable admission through quota two include a new common national admission test, five years of relevant work experience as qualifying for higher education, and a minimum of 25 per cent of the student places at all educational programmes offered via quota two;
• For the purpose of more homogenous and transparent screening, the government proposes simplified and homogenous admission requirements, and common criteria;
• Proposals for a more reflective choice of education programme include a strengthened educational guidance and reflection integrated in the application process in the form of questions to encourage reflection and inspire the young people to apply for other education programmes.

*For information on the Danish quota system, please visit: Regulations of Admission (Quota 1 and Quota 2)

For more information (in Danish): More ways, new opportunities: A new and improved admissions system in higher education.

Agreement on the implementation of more and better opportunities for education throughout Denmark

March 2022

In June 2021, a broad majority of the Danish Parliament entered into an agreement on the framework for more and better opportunities for education throughout Denmark. In January 2022, the higher education institutions have presented their proposals for the relocation and downsizing of study places, after which the political parties have entered an additional agreement on the implementation in March 2022.

The purpose of the agreement is to ensure more and better opportunities for education throughout Denmark so a larger share of the enrolment on higher education in the future takes place outside the four biggest cities. The agreement aims at increasing the number of people getting an education by ensuring that all types of educations are available all over Denmark. The reasoning behind the agreement is an uneven distribution of educational institutions and a future lower recruitment basis because of falling youth cohorts that risk challenging the supply of education outside the four biggest cities further.

Furthermore, the agreement emphasises the importance of creating better conditions for the recruitment of welfare personnel throughout Denmark by outlining an ambition regarding a 60/40 distribution of student places on the four biggest welfare educations (teacher, nurse, pedagogue and social worker). The ambition entails that in time 60 per cent of the study places on these welfare educations are to be located outside the four biggest cities.

Since January 2022, the political parties have negotiated an additional agreement based on the higher educational institutions’ suggestions on how to relocate and/or reduce enrolment. When preparing their input, the institutions had to allow for, among other things, public employers and business communities’ needs as well as continuing supply of educations with particularly high demand and employment. The additional agreement and the five sector plans for the higher educational institutions include the following new main elements:

• Ambitions about more than 100 new education initiatives outside the four biggest cities;
• 41 new educational initiatives receive extraordinary public grants for their establishment;
• Overall, the political parties have prioritised 805 million DKK in funding of start-up and development expenses from 2021-2028;
• In all, 413 million DKK in grants of which the majority is used in order for both existing and new supplies of education to receive increased decentralised basic subsidy and a 7-percentage point increase in the taximeter scheme.

In total, the additional agreement and the sector plans entail that:

• The study places in the four biggest cities are adjusted with 6.4 per cent towards 2030 corresponding to about 4,350 study places;
• Of the 4,350 study places, approximately 2,400 are relocated while 1,950 are downsized;
• If all the educational institutions’ registered plans are implemented by 2030, further 2,000 new study places will be established outside the four biggest cities.
• Because of the 60/40 ambition, 1,800 study places for the four biggest welfare educations are established outside the big cities of which 800 are relocated and 1000 are newly created.

For further information (in Danish), please visit: The Ministry of Higher Education and Science

Improved conditions for students with disabilities in higher education

February 2022

As a part of the follow-up on a political agreement on better conditions for pupils and students with physical and psychological disabilities, a work group has presented a report on the conditions for students with disabilities in higher education.

The purpose of the report is to clarify important conditions and frameworks with an impact on the equality between students with disabilities and their fellow students. This includes conditions that affect students with disabilities’ well-being and learning outcome. Furthermore, the report examines opportunities for support and compensation in order for students with disabilities to study on the same terms as students without disabilities.

Conditions for students with disabilities

Overall, the report compares the situation of students with disabilities and students without disabilities. In addition, the report focuses on two subgroups of disabilities: students with psychological disabilities and students with reading and writing difficulties. According to the work group, the share of students with disabilities has over a ten-year period increased from 3 to 11 percent in 2020. Furthermore, the work group observes that students with disabilities encounter more difficulties during their studies compared to students without disabilities on a number of parameters. Students with disabilities experience:

• Higher unemployment, higher dropout rates and longer average time of completion;
• Lower well-being and poorer affiliation;
• Lack of availability in their learning environment;
• More insecurity, difficulties and worries at the commencement of their studies;
• An additional work load as a result of administrative barriers;
• Lack of flexibility regarding the administrative and legal framework;
• Insecurity and worries in relation to their economy.

In particular, the group of students with psychological disabilities differ as they experience higher unemployment and dropout rates, longer time of completion and lower well-being.

The work group’s initiatives

In light of these findings, the work group presents four central initiatives to improve the conditions for students with disabilities in higher education:

1. Improved involvement of the group before and during the commencement of their education programme;
2. Improved availability in the learning environment of teaching aids and audio visual equipment and accessible teaching resources in time;
3. Regularly support during their education;
4. Increased flexibility of the organization of a full-time education.

The work group substantiates each initiative with specific suggestions on how to improve the conditions for students with disabilities in higher education:

• About the commencement of study, the work group suggests a universal and tolerant design, incorporated information on the available opportunities for students with disabilities in connection with admission, a more flexible application process and an invitation for coming students to contact the higher education institution in relation to the planning of their education;
• Suggestions for improved availability includes support for the use of teaching aids and audio visual equipment, accessible teaching resources in time and common guidelines on recording of lessons and flexibility in terms of group work;
• For the purpose of more regularly support courses the work group suggests visualising the process clearly and reducing the wait for special educational assistance (support scheme);
• Suggestions for increasing the flexibility includes the opportunity to take courses in another way (e.g. evening classes and online classes) and closer cooperation with training places.

For more information (in Danish): Improved conditions for students with disabilities

2021

A new political agreement limits student grant expenses for foreign students from the EU

September 2021

The government and a large majority of the political parties in the Danish parliament have agreed to reduce the number of courses offered in English at higher education institutions.

The agreement has been put in place because of the continually increasing number of students from EU and EEA countries who receive Danish SU (State Educational Grant). This means that expenses for this group of students have risen sharply in recent years. Despite several political attempts to bring expenditure under control, expenditure is expected to rise to approximately DKK 570 million in 2025, which is far above the level of DKK 449 million, which the majority of the political parties in the Danish parliament agreed upon in 2013*.

The aim of the agreement is to reduce the number of students from EU and EEA countries receiving SU. When reducing the number of courses offered in English, the emphasis has been on studies in which only very few of the English-speaking students subsequently find employment in Denmark.

The reduction targets business academy and vocational bachelor programmes offered in English. Seven out of ten (72%) of the students are English-speaking, but only one in five (21%) find work in Denmark after completing their education.

However, the parties want to respect those business academy and vocational bachelor programmes that succeed in educating English-speaking students for employment in Denmark, as well as programmes that, for example, are of special relevance to the regional labour market. The parties have therefore agreed to exempt about 650 student places from the reduction of courses offered in English.

The agreement emphasises that as few study places as possible will be closed. However, to help the education institutions adapt and reorganise to focus on the courses offered in Danish, the parties have earmarked DKK 112 million from 2023 to 2025, to compensate the institutions most affected.

The parties agree that offering more opportunities for employment for English-speaking students is itself a major task. Therefore, each year DKK 50 million will be set aside to remunerate institutions that succeed in getting more graduates into employment.

Finally, the parties agree that it must still be possible for students at business academies and university colleges to participate in student exchange as part of their studies. They have therefore agreed to improve opportunities for subjects in English within Danish-language business academy courses and vocational courses at university colleges, which requires legislation, which will be implemented during the next year.

The parties to the agreement expect these measures to ensure that SU expenses for migrant job seekers from EU/EEA countries are kept at the level set in the SU agreement. However, the parties also agree that developments within the remaining courses offered in English must be closely monitored, and that, if necessary, further measures must be taken if SU expenditure increases significantly.

Included in the agreement is the decision to contribute to the financing of the Political Agreement on the framework for more and better opportunities for education throughout Denmark (the below news item).

For further information, please visit the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s website (link).

*According to EU legislation, students from EU/EEA countries have the right to SU, when alongside their studies they have worked for at least 10-12 hours a week for a continuous period of 10 weeks. This gives students the status of migrant job seekers, which makes them entitled to social benefits - including SU. In 2013, the parties involved in SU negotiations entered into a political agreement that the SU costs for EU/EEA citizens with the status of migrant job seekers must not exceed DKK 449 million per year.

Political Agreement on the framework for more and better opportunities for education throughout Denmark

August 2021

The government and almost all the political parties in the Danish parliament have decided on an agreement to improve opportunities for higher education in all areas of Denmark. The political vision is to ensure access to higher education in all areas of Denmark and to curb the demographic development where people gradually are moving from rural to urban areas. Among others, the parties have agreed to:

• Increase enrolment outside the bigger cities and reduce enrolment in the cities
• Increase funding for higher education placed outside major cities relative to higher education in larger urban areas

The agreement changes some of the fundamental structures of the Danish education system. With this change, a new regional funding system is implemented from 2023. Outside the bigger cities, the funding of higher education institutions will increase 5-7 percent from 2023-2027 and onwards.

Furthermore, the basic grant for decentralised educational supplies and higher education local units, the co-called ‘educational stations’, is doubled. It is estimated that more than 70 existing educational supplies across the country will benefit economically from the agreement.

The quality assurance of higher education institutions is unchanged with the agreement. 

Increasing enrolment outside the bigger cities and reducing enrolment in the cities

The government and the political parties agree that it is of utmost importance to improve the higher education institutions’ basis for enrolment to be able to meet the ambition that more young people complete a higher education outside the bigger cities. In this respect, the agreement states an objective to reduce enrolment in the cities by 5-10 percent by 2030.

In autumn 2021, the education institutions will present their proposals on how they plan to relocate and/or reduce enrolment in the four biggest cities by 5-10 percent.

On this basis, a ‘2030 sector plan’ for each education sector is prepared. The structural changes following the sector plans will be implemented gradually, thus no current students will be affected by the agreement.

1,000 new and 1,000 relocated student places within the welfare area

It is a priority to improve the basis for recruiting qualified personnel within the welfare area in all areas of Denmark – including outside the cities. Thus, the political parties have agreed:

• That 60 percent of the study places within welfare education programmes must be placed outside the bigger cities
• To establish 1,000 new study places within the welfare area outside the bigger cities
• To relocate 1,000 study places within the welfare area outside the bigger cities

The ambition is that 60 percent of all study places within the four big welfare education programmes (teacher, nurse, pedagogue, social worker) in the longer term should be placed outside the bigger cities. Therefore, by 2030, 1,000 new study places will be established and an additional 1,000 study places will be relocated outside the bigger cities.

Further information can be found on the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s website (only available in Danish).

Financial support to students in higher education in the light of COVID-19

March 2021

The Danish parliament has decided on a number of measures in the light of the COVID-19 situation to support students in higher education. The parliament has decided:

• To allocate 13.45 million EUR (100 million DKK) for compensating initiatives for final year students enrolled in programmes with a significant amount of practise teaching or practical training.
• Students can apply for extra state education loans due to the COVID-19 situation until May 2021.

Due to the continuing lockdown of the higher education institutions, the Danish parliament has decided to allocate 100 million DKK. These funds cover extra activities such as teaching, guidance and exams, which can also take place during weekends and holidays. The funds are allocated to the university colleges, business academies, and the maritime and artistic education institutions as well as universities offering programmes including a considerable practical training element. The initiative is expected to benefit around 41,000 students.   

Furthermore, to accommodate the students’ economic situation, the parliament has decided to extend the option for students to apply for extra state education loans (SU-lån). The measure has been extended and now includes April 2021.

In addition to this, the parliament has extended the possibility for students participating in critical societal functions to increase their income without being deducted in their state education grant (SU). This can among others, include nursing, medical, paramedical, social and health care training students.

2020

Regulation changes for admissions to higher education and a record number of admissions

September 2020

Admissions to higher education was announced on July 28 2020. For the admissions this year, two changes in regulations have been implemented:

• The parliament have allocated funds for 5,000 extra student places in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
• The grade point average bonus scheme for students starting higher education within two years after their qualification for entry has been removed.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, it was expected that the number of applicants would rise this year. To accommodate this development, the government and all parties in the parliament, allocated funds allowing educational institutions to create 5,000 extra student places in 2020 and 2021. 500 of the student places are within important welfare subjects (teacher, nurse, social worker and pedagogue).

The other regulation change is regarding the calculation of students’ grade point average. Until this summer, it has been possible for students applying for higher education within two years of their upper secondary education to multiply their grade point average by a factor of 1.08. For the students who applied for higher education in 2020, this multiplication factor has been removed. The regulation means that the highest possible grade point average has been lowered. The aim of the regulation was to limit the increasing required grade point average in admissions and to attach more importance to students’ qualifications rather than focusing on a fast start to higher education.

After admissions were published, some significant changes have appeared:

• A record number of students were offered a place in a higher education programme.
• The required grade point average for admission has decreased in a number of programmes.

A record number of 69,526 students were offered a place in higher education on July 28 2020. The increase in admissions is in all types of higher education programmes (academy profession programmes, professional bachelor education programmes and bachelor programmes). The gender composition within some of the programmes typically dominated by one gender has changed towards a slightly more equal gender composition. For instance, within the typically male dominated programmes such as STEM programmes, the admissions of women have increased by 13 percent and admissions of men have increased by 7 percent. Within some of the typically female dominated programmes such as Bachelor in Nursing the admissions of men have increased by 10 percent and the admissions of women have increased by 5 percent.

The other significant development was the decrease in the required grade point average (GPA) for a large number of programmes. For the top 5 percent programmes with the highest required GPA, the GPA has decreased the most. However, the general decrease in required GPA is showing throughout the scale regardless of the programmes’ required GPA.

For further information, please visit:

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2020. Admissions 2020: Overview. (In Danish).

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2020. Admissions 2020: The development in required grade point average. (In Danish).

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2020. Record number of applicants offered places in higher education. 29.07.2020. (In English).

The Danish Government sets aside 25 million kr. aimed at strengthening the students’ well-being

January 2020

A study from 2019 shows that one out of five students attending a higher education experiences stress every day or frequently in connection with their education. Additionally one out of ten students in higher education feels lonely.

The government wants to strengthen the well-being of students attending a higher education programme and reduce the number of stressed students. Therefore, the government has set aside 25 million DKK earmarked for pilot projects that will increase the well-being among students. All higher education institutions receive 300.000 DKK to spend on pilot projects defined by themselves. In addition to the 300.000 DKK, the institutions will receive an additional amount calculated on the basis of the number of students attending the institution. The pilot projects must be implementable in other parts of the education sector.

In order to promote the government’s focus on the students’ well-being, the Ministry for Higher Education and Science has set up a new division responsible for improving the well-being among the students attending a higher education programme.

The division can support the institutions when setting up the design and evaluation framework for the pilot projects. Afterwards, the division will collect knowledge gained from the pilots projects. The knowledge will play an important part in the future work on improving the well-being of students.

The increased focus on the students’ well-being follows the Danish Government’s ambition to pursue a child-, youth, school and education policy, which will make Denmark the world’s best country for a child.

For further information, please consult this link (in Danish): The government sets aside 25 million kr. to strengthen the students’ well-being.