The Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA, in

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

: ''Samskipnaden for norske studenter i utlandet'') is a non-profit and membership based organisation aiming to voice the educational, cultural, political and economic interests of Norwegian students studying outside

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

and to promote overseas students as a valuable resource to domestic employers. As of 2009/2010, 20,165 Norwegian students were studying abroad. In 2014 ANSA had over 10,000 members at over 1,200 educational institutions in more than 90 countries. ANSA in particular works to influence rules and regulations governing student grants and loans, arguing that all students should have the right to study any subject in any country as they wish. The Norwegian government has been funding higher education for Norwegian students abroad for more than 60 years, with the

Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund ( no, Statens lånekasse for utdanning) is a government agency that allocates loans and grants to Norwegian and certain foreign students for their education. Lånekassen was established in 1947. Lånekass ...

(''Lånekassen'') providing students with loans and grants. ANSA was founded by Norwegian students in 1956 to address difficulties students encountered in dealing with Lånekassen. The organisation targets services at students prior to, during, and after studies abroad. A range of membership benefits are central in attracting students as members. ANSA's Information Centre for higher education abroad is funded by the

Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research The Royal Ministry of Education and Research ( no, Det kongelige kunnskapsdepartement; short name ''Kunnskapsdepartementet'') is a Norwegian government ministry responsible for education, research, kindergartens and integration. The ministry was ...

to provide unbiased advice on higher education abroad. The Membership Department deals with enquiries from potential and current members, while ANSA's Student Adviser provides advice to students encountering problems during their studies abroad, such as with regards to their university, their insurance, or Lånekassen.

Headquarters and Governance Structures

ANSA is manned by 12 full-time employees. The Secretary-General heads the office in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

. The President of ANSA is elected at the annual general assembly. The President's main responsibility is lobbying for ANSA’s political priorities towards the Norwegian authorities. The President is also chair of ANSA’s Board and main spokesperson of ANSA. The board of ANSA consists of six students abroad, two students who previously have studied abroad, ANSA’s president and a representative for the employees at ANSA. The Board is responsible for ANSA’s political priorities and the main goals of the organisation. Among ANSA's members are over 500 volunteers who organise various social and cultural events and represent ANSA at their places of study.

External links

Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA)

References

{{European Students' Union Student organisations in Norway Student organizations established in 1956 1956 establishments in Norway International education industry