# Sykestipend in 2026: conditions, documents and application

Illness can turn student loans into a grant. Check study incapacity requirements, medical documentation, the deadline and coordination with Nav.

Canonical: https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/sykestipend-student
Language: en
Publisher: SamfunnPrep
Author: Hlib Suslov
Published: 2026-10-07T19:15:21.745+00:00
Modified: 2026-10-07T19:15:21.79978+00:00
AI use policy: https://samfunnprep.no/ai-policy.txt

## Key takeaways

- Study incapacity must be documented For your own illness, you need at least 50 percent study incapacity for more than 14 consecutive days, with the period and degree documented.
- The deadline follows the academic year or course The application must be received within six months after the end date. The deadline does not run from the day you recover.
- Declare benefits from your employer and Nav Sickness benefits can reduce sykestipend. For your own illness, you cannot be entitled to AAP and sykestipend for the same period.

Sykestipend can convert your student loan into a grant when illness prevents you from studying. You must normally have applied for ordinary support before becoming ill, and have at least 50 percent study incapacity for more than 14 days. Apply with medical documentation by the deadline.

## What is sykestipend from Lånekassen?

Sykestipend, a sickness grant for students, means that support for a period of illness is converted into a grant. It is not an extra monthly salary or automatic cancellation of your entire student loan.

**Lånekassen** is Norway's state scheme for education loans and grants. The rules in this guide were checked on 7 October 2026. [Forskrift om utdanningsstøtte §§ 38–40](https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2020-04-15-798), the regulation on education support, governs sykestipend.

Your course must qualify for support. SamfunnPrep has a separate [guide to higher education and Lånekassen](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/hoyere-utdanning-lanekassen). This guide covers your finances when illness makes studying difficult.

## Who can get sykestipend for their own illness?

You must have at least **50 percent study incapacity** for more than 14 consecutive days during the period covered by loans and grants. Study incapacity means that illness makes you wholly or partly unable to study.

As a general rule, Lånekassen must have received your application for ordinary loans and grants before you became ill. The regulation makes an exception if you were taking a course that qualified for support in the semester before the illness. Ask Lånekassen to assess this if your ordinary application arrived later.

You can still be partly able to study and meet the requirement. However, a sick note from your part-time job does not, by itself, show your degree of study incapacity. The documentation must describe your studies.

Entitlement to arbeidsavklaringspenger from **Nav**, Norway's labour and welfare administration, also matters. You cannot be entitled to this benefit and sykestipend for the same period. See the section on Nav below.

## Which days and amounts can be covered?

Sykestipend starts from **day 15**. The first 14 days are not covered, and the limit is **4 months and 15 days per academic year**.

A simple example: you have documented study incapacity for 20 consecutive days. If the other conditions are met, days 15–20 may qualify for sykestipend. This example does not mean that the whole month is covered.

With partial study incapacity, loans can be converted in proportion to the degree of incapacity. Lånekassen calculates the amount using the support you are entitled to, and deducts sickness benefits for the same period. Do not treat your ordinary payment as a promise of the grant amount.

Not every type of support can be converted. Utstyrsstipend, an equipment grant, is excluded. So are tuition-fee loans for courses delivered entirely online by an institution in another EØS country. **EØS** is the European Economic Area, or EEA.

## What must your doctor document?

The documentation must show the period of illness and how much the illness prevented you from studying. It must confirm study incapacity, rather than only incapacity for work.

In the [sykestipend application form (PDF)](https://lanekassen.no/api/mt1534/CMSProxy/LKNO/HentFil/78b58ab4-25c2-4123-8854-1b3b37e4314a), the confirmation is completed by a doctor, a psychologist or another professional authorised to issue sick notes. A separate certificate can replace this part of the form if it contains the necessary information.

| Information | What must the documentation show? |
|---|---|
| Period | The start and end dates of the illness. |
| Studies | That the illness made you unable or partly unable to study. |
| Degree | Study incapacity as a percentage. |
| Changes | Dates and percentages for each period if the degree varied. |

## How do you apply for sykestipend?

Download the form, complete it and submit it through **Dine sider**, your personal account with Lånekassen. You must have applied for ordinary loans and grants before applying for sykestipend.

[Lånekassen's application guidance](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/sykdom/soknad-om-sykestipend/) describes these steps:

1. Download and print the application.
2. Complete the information and obtain the required signature and stamp from the professional.
3. Log in to Dine sider and select «Send dokumentasjon», meaning submit documentation, in the menu.
4. Upload and submit the application with its attachments.

Sykestipend is generally not awarded for future periods. Wait to submit the application itself until you have recovered or the academic year has ended. Obtain documentation along the way so that dates and changes are clear.

Save a copy of the form and the submission confirmation. Check messages from Lånekassen in case they ask for more information.

## When is the application deadline?

Lånekassen must have received the application within **six months after the academic year or course has ended**. The deadline does not run from the day you became ill or recovered.

For ordinary study periods, the academic year is treated as ending on 15 June. The six-month deadline is then 15 December. If the autumn semester is your final semester, the usual end date is 15 January and the deadline is 15 July.

Other courses may have an individual end date. If you leave earlier because of illness, the form still calculates the deadline from the end of the support period. Check which date applies to you in the guidance and with Lånekassen.

[The regulation, §§ 43–44](https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2020-04-15-798), allows exceptions if you could not meet the deadline, or special reasons make it reasonable to consider the application. Submit it as soon as possible and explain the delay. An exception does not mean that you automatically receive sykestipend.

## Can you receive sickness benefits or AAP at the same time?

Sykepenger, sickness benefits from your employer or Nav, can reduce sykestipend to zero. For your own illness, you cannot be entitled to arbeidsavklaringspenger, work assessment allowance, abbreviated **AAP**, and sykestipend for the same period.

Declare both benefits you have received and applications awaiting a decision. If you have received sickness benefits, document the gross amount per month and the dates. Use your payment history from Nav or payslips from your employer. If you are partly on sick leave from work, your employer must also confirm the sick-leave percentage.

If you received AAP for only part of the illness period, Lånekassen can assess sykestipend for the rest. [Nav's guidance for students](https://www.nav.no/aap) says that your entitlement to sykestipend must be exhausted before you can receive AAP. Contact Nav if you have a long-term illness; AAP has its own conditions.

## What if your child is ill?

Your own child's illness can qualify you for sykestipend when it makes you **wholly unable to study**. The child must be under 12; the current regulation also covers children who turn 12 in 2026.

Here, 50 percent study incapacity is not enough. The requirements for the period, waiting days and maximum duration also apply.

## What happens to your studies and support afterwards?

Lånekassen does not count you as behind in your studies for the period covered by sykestipend, even if you fail. However, you must notify them immediately if you leave your course or take fewer credits.

[Notification of a change to your education](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/forsinkelse-avbrudd-og-endring-i-utdanningen/) must not wait until the sykestipend application. Also agree a plan with your institution. See SamfunnPrep's [guide to adjustments for university exams](https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/tilrettelegging-eksamen-universitet) for that separate process.

If you are ill only on the exam day, the period may be too short for sykestipend. Still obtain a medical certificate. Lånekassen asks you to submit it if you later fall behind by 60 credits or more.

As of 7 October 2026, [Lånekassen's processing-time overview](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/hjelp-og-kontakt/behandlingstid2/) lists up to 20 weeks for sykestipend. This is an estimate that may change. Plan your finances while you wait, and note the deadline and documents alongside other practical tasks. [SamfunnPrep's tools overview](https://samfunnprep.no/en/verktoy) brings together resources for everyday life in Norway.

## FAQ

### Can I get sykestipend if I can still study a little?

Yes. For your own illness, you must have at least 50 percent study incapacity for more than 14 consecutive days. Documentation must show the degree, and partial incapacity can result in partial conversion.

### Must I have applied for ordinary student support before becoming ill?

As a general rule, yes. The regulation makes an exception if you were taking a course that qualified for support in the semester before the illness. Ask Lånekassen to assess this if it applies to you.

### Is the deadline six months after I recover?

No. The application must be received within six months after the academic year or course has ended. Ordinary and individual end dates may differ.

### Is a sick note from my part-time job enough?

Not if it only shows incapacity for work. The documentation must show the illness period and degree of study incapacity. Also declare sickness benefits and provide the required documentation.

### Do I get sykestipend for the first two weeks?

No. Sykestipend starts from day 15 when the conditions are met. You can receive it for a maximum of 4 months and 15 days per academic year.

## Sources

- [Sykdom](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/sykdom/)
- [Søknad om sykestipend](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/sykdom/soknad-om-sykestipend/)
- [Forsinkelse, avbrudd og endring i utdanningen](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/stipend-og-lan/forsinkelse-avbrudd-og-endring-i-utdanningen/)
- [Ditt ansvar](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/regelverk/tildeling/del4-kapittel13/ditt-ansvar/)
- [Behandlingstid](https://lanekassen.no/nb-NO/hjelp-og-kontakt/behandlingstid2/)
- [Arbeidsavklaringspenger (AAP)](https://www.nav.no/aap)
- [Forskrift om utdanningsstøtte](https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2020-04-15-798)
- [Søknad om sykestipend – Skjema S (06.2026)](https://lanekassen.no/api/mt1534/CMSProxy/LKNO/HentFil/78b58ab4-25c2-4123-8854-1b3b37e4314a)

Citation: Hlib Suslov, "Sykestipend in 2026: conditions, documents and application", SamfunnPrep, 2026-10-07T19:15:21.745+00:00, https://samfunnprep.no/en/articles/sykestipend-student