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EACEA National Policies Platform
Iceland

Iceland

6. Education and Training

6.5 Cross-border learning mobility

Last update: 28 November 2023
On this page
  1. Policy framework
  2. Main cross-border mobility programmes for students in formal education
  3. Promoting mobility in the context of non-formal learning, and of youth work
  4. Quality assurance

Policy framework

The policy on cross-border mobility learning formed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture strives to ensure that students can choose and arrange their studies to suit their own personal needs and gain as much as possible. The main purpose of the Icelandic Student Loan Fund is to accommodate this goal by supporting students financially with both tuition fees and maintenance (http://www.althingi.is/altext/145/s/1512.html, only available in Icelandic).

 

Main cross-border mobility programmes for students in formal education

Exchange studies are offered informal, general education. There are no top-level policies or laws which directly govern the arrangement of international cooperation among higher education institutions as they are relatively autonomous in so many aspects. However, Icelandic universities are engaged in international cooperation which helps students mobilize for their studies. The University of Iceland is a member of the Nordplus, through which students can exchange to universities in the Nordic and Baltic countries, and Erasmus +, through which they can exchange to the European Union as well as Norway and Turkey (http://english.hi.is/university/europe%20). The university also cooperates with universities from outside Europe to which students can exchange.

The Erasmus + and Nordplus programs offer grants to students in the form of travel and residency. In addition, all students, whether studying locally or abroad, are entitled to a loan from the Icelandic Student Loan Fund.

 

Promoting mobility in the context of non-formal learning, and of youth work

As described in chapter 2 on voluntary activities, Iceland participates in international programs which allow young people to go abroad as a volunteer for various subjects. Young people can for example participate in the European Volunteer Service, which is hosted by the Erasmus + program. However, no standards or quality criteria have been set by top-level authorities regarding these actions.

No public funding is directly allocated to these projects. However, institutions responsible for them receive public funding.

 

Quality assurance

No system of quality assurance of cross-border learning mobility exists in Iceland.