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Are you a Swedish student? Did you know that you can apply for student financial aid from CSN for studies in Korea? In Sweden, it’s common to apply for loans and grants for your studies from CSN. You can do the same for studying in Korea! Not only that, but you can also apply for an additional cost loan to cover extra fees incurred by students studying abroad.
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know, step by step, about how to apply for student financial aid from CSN to study in Korea.
Why apply for a loan from CSN when studying in Korea?
The fact is that Swedes have a unique opportunity to simplify the application process for a student visa in Korea thanks to the option to apply for student financial aid from CSN. When you apply for a student visa in Korea, you’ll need to prove to the Korean Immigration Service that you have savings sufficient to ensure you’ll be able to support yourself in Korea. It’s generally recommended that you have $10,000 in savings for each half-year of study.
An approved CSN loan demonstrates your financial credibility and can also allow you to come to Korea to study much faster than students who need to save up money before they can leave.
However, it’s important to remember that this is money that must be repaid in the future, just like any other loan. You can find more information about how to repay your student loan here.
Who can apply for loans and grants from CSN to study in Korea?
There are certain requirements and conditions that must be met for you to be eligible for student financial aid. For example, you must have been a resident of Sweden for two consecutive years within the last five years. It’s also important that you have successfully completed any previous studies for which you took out a CSN loan; if you’re unsure what applies to you specifically, you can contact CSN.
To be eligible for student financial aid from CSN, you must be enrolled for at least 13 weeks. This means you cannot receive student financial aid from CSN for studies in Korea that take place under a tourist visa (90 days).
Student Financial Aid for Higher Education
Language studies at a Korean language school are classified as upper secondary level according to CSN, and for these studies, you can receive student financial aid for up to 80 or 120 weeks (depending on your prior education). The maximum duration of a student visa for studying at a language school in Korea is 2 years, which corresponds to 80 weeks of full-time study.
Note that studies at, for example, adult education centers (komvux) are also considered upper secondary-level studies. If you’re unsure how many weeks you have left to apply for a loan, we recommend that you log in to “My Pages” on the CSN website or contact CSN directly to ask.
Important information for those under 20: Unfortunately, it is not possible to study at the upper secondary level—such as language studies at a regular language school in Korea—with financial aid from CSN.
Before you begin your CSN application: Apply to a school and submit the required documents
To apply for student financial aid from CSN for studies in Korea, you must first be admitted to a program in Korea. After that, you’ll need to fill out and gather a number of signed documents, which you’ll later submit as attachments with your online application for student financial aid on the CSN website.
If you’re applying to a school through Go! Go! Hanguk, we’ll guide you through the entire application process. We’ll send out the forms when the time comes so that everything is done in the correct order; we’ll double-check to ensure that all parties have entered the correct information; and we’ll maintain contact with the school in Korean and with you in Swedish to ensure that all communication goes as smoothly as possible.
When it’s time to submit your CSN application, the school must fill out the CSN Form 5509W, a document certifying which school you’ll be attending, the duration of your studies, and that you’re enrolled full-time.
Step-by-step guide to submitting your CSN application online
Start by logging into your account on the CSN website by clicking “Log in” in the right-hand corner, then click “My Pages.” This will take you to “Log in to My Pages,” where you’ll choose the method you want to use to log in to CSN. Once you’re logged in, scroll down to a yellow menu where you’ll click “Student Aid” and then “Apply for Student Aid” to get started with your online application.
Step 1: Get Started with Your Application
Now the actual application begins. Start by indicating that you’re applying for studies abroad and click the “Next” button to proceed.
You will now proceed to step 1 of 9 in your CSN application. In this step, you can check which attachments you’ll need to upload later. As we’ve mentioned before, Form 5509W must be completed and ready before you begin your application if you’re planning to study Korean at a language school.
You can therefore click “Next” right away. Here, you’ll enter information about the school you’ll be attending, as well as your program of study. Fill in the following:
- Country of Study: Select South Korea from the list of countries
- City of Study: The city where the school is located, e.g., Seoul, Busan, or Daegu
- School: The name of your school—sometimes schools have both a Korean and an English name—enter the English name
- Program: Here you can enter “Korean language course”
- Type of program: Select “Language course” if you’re studying at a language school, and “Program or standalone course” for higher education
- Distance learning: “No”
When you’re done, click “Next.”
Now it’s time to enter the dates you’ll be studying! You can find them on your completed 5509W form.
You can apply for a loan for one year at a time; if you’re studying for longer, this application is only for the first year. So enter:
- Duration of study: the dates on your 5509W form
- Enrollment status: “Full-time”
- Credits: Language studies are usually worth 0 credits unless otherwise specified on the 5509W form or in the letter you received from the school. In that case, enter the number of credits listed there.
When you’re done, click “Next”
In this section, verify that the study period is correct and indicate when you plan to complete your studies. Note that this may change, so enter your current plan.
Then click “Next.”
Here, you’ll enter information about your previous education and high school-level studies. Enter the information that applies to you.
Step 2: Grants and Loans
In Step 2, “My Grants and Loans,” you’ll indicate whether you want to apply for loans and grants for your studies. As mentioned earlier, you’ll want to apply for student financial aid from CSN for full-time studies in Korea if you plan to use CSN as a sponsor for your school and student visa application. You should also apply for loans and grants for all weeks.
Additional Expense Loan: This is optional—keep in mind that a larger loan means more money to repay later. It also means you’ll have more spending money during your studies in your new country. Most students who apply for a program in Korea through us at Go! Go! Hanguk choose to apply for the tuition fee in any case—that is, the cost you must pay to the school before you begin studying, also known as the semester fee. To receive your payment from CSN on time, you need to apply for a supplementary cost loan to cover the semester fee. You will then receive a lump-sum payment for this 2–3 weeks before the start of the semester. If you choose not to apply for an additional cost loan, your first payment will be made a few days before you begin your studies.
Please note that the semester fee must usually be paid during the application period. If you do not apply for an additional cost loan, you may need to pay the tuition fee to the school out of your own pocket until you receive your payment from CSN.
When you’re done, click “Next.”
You’ll then be taken to the “Additional Cost Loan for Tuition” page, where you can see how much money you can borrow and how much you’ve already borrowed.
Under “Loan for Tuition,” select the period for which you want the loan. If you’re applying for language studies, it’s time to pull out the CSN 5509W form again—it lists the tuition fee for your school. However, this is usually listed in won; we recommend converting the currency directly in Google by searching “x won to SEK.”
Under “Monthly Payment,” click “No” (you’ll receive an invoice from the school stating that your tuition is paid as a lump sum before the start of the semester).
Click “Next” when you’re done.
You’ll now see a page about supplemental grants, where you should select “No, I am not applying for a supplemental grant.” Then click “Next.”
On the page about the disbursement of your student aid, it’s most common to select “No, monthly disbursement is fine” unless you have other specific reasons (your additional cost loan will be disbursed as a lump sum regardless of what you choose here).
Step 3: Enter your income information
Now that you’ve gotten past the trickiest part, it’s time to enter how much you’re earning this year, as well as any other grants or benefits you receive. Here you can read about the maximum amount you can earn in a year to be eligible for support from CSN.
Step 4: Your contact information
The first page is about your address. Check that your address is correct. Is it incorrect? Contact the Swedish Tax Agency. Then select that you want to receive the decision via “Mina Sidor” (My Pages), since you might not have access to your cell phone or mail.
Click “Next” to go to a page where you can choose how you’d like to receive your correspondence and double-check that your Swedish address and phone number are correct.
Step 5: Upload attachments
If you’re planning to study Korean, you should now upload the 5509W form, completed and signed by the school.
Step 6: Confirm that you’ve been a resident of Sweden
Even if you’re a Swedish citizen, that doesn’t automatically mean you’re eligible for CSN. You must have lived in Sweden continuously for two years within the last five years.
Steps 7–9: Review all information and submit your application
Almost done! Now review all your information, and if everything looks good, it’s time to sign and submit your application for student financial aid from CSN to study in Korea! When you click “Sign” at the bottom of the page, you’ll be redirected to sign your application using your e-ID. There you go—now everything is complete!
CSN usually takes up to 5 weeks to review an application before they get back to you with a decision on whether you’ve been granted student financial aid or not. You’ll also need to submit a so-called “Study Declaration”; this becomes available on “Mina Sidor” about 1 month before the start of your studies and is very easy to do—everything is done online and takes just a few minutes.
If you have questions about how to apply for student financial aid from CSN for studies in Korea, you can leave them in a comment below, reach out to your student coordinator at Go! Go! Hanguk, or contact CSN directly. If you haven’t decided which school you want to attend, we can help you—email us here.
