Norwegian student may lose 400000 kroner loan relief
A Norwegian student who relocated to her rural hometown after government promises of student loan forgiveness now faces losing 400,000 kroner. The 2026 budget scraps the program in many municipalities, causing uncertainty for young professionals in remote areas.
Hege Ringdal, 26, chose to work in her remote hometown after meeting Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre last year. He promised student loan forgiveness for young professionals in rural areas. Now the government plans to scrap the program in many municipalities.
Ringdal has over 400,000 kroner ($37,000) in student debt. She took a local teaching position believing her loans would be reduced by 25,000 kroner annually. The government's 2026 budget removes this benefit from most communities in Møre og Romsdal county.
"They stood here last year saying something different," Ringdal said in an interview. "The trust you have in politicians presenting their case as credible - then I got a call yesterday that they're considering taking it away. It came as both a shock and disappointment."
Ringdal grew up in Hellesylt, a village of about 300 people in western Norway. She had moved home temporarily for a teaching program when Støre and his coalition partner visited. They announced the loan forgiveness scheme would help young people settle in rural areas.
"I spoke with the politicians there and felt they stood firmly behind this policy," she recalled. "That was absolutely an important reason I chose to stay."
Now she's reconsidering her future. Without the loan assistance, staying in her hometown becomes less attractive. Many young Norwegians already gravitate toward cities for better job opportunities.
The revised program would only forgive up to 75,000 kroner in remaining communities. That's substantially less than the original full debt cancellation.
Ringdal hopes the government reverses course or that the Center Party negotiates to restore the support. Still, she admits her trust has been damaged.
"I was quite sure this was a program that would remain based on how they talked about it," she noted. "When something like this happens, you become skeptical."
Støre acknowledged their meeting in a statement, calling it "a nice conversation with Hege when we met in Hellesylt." He said the Labor Party supports the debt relief program but must start with limited implementation due to budget constraints.
Political promises often face reality checks when budget decisions arrive. This case shows how policy changes can directly impact individual lives and regional development goals.
Young professionals like Ringdal make career choices based on government incentives. When those incentives disappear, so might the talent rural communities need.