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EACEA National Policies Platform:Eurydice
Adult Education and Training Funding

Denmark

3.Funding in Education

3.3Adult Education and Training Funding

Last update: 9 February 2024

Main funding principles

Adult education and training is an alternative and a supplement to the ordinary education system. 

Adult education and training programmes are offered at a number of state-funded, self-governing institutions, which have two sources of revenue for financing their education programmes:

  1. State grants;

  2. Their own income from income-generating activities, including tuition fees.

State grants are distributed to the institutions based on the taximeter system, which is a financing system based on per capita grants (grants per student) to educational institutions. This entails that state grants are distributed to the institutions based on:

  • Objective goals for activity-levels;

  • Politically determined taximeter rates per activity-level units.

For more information on taximeter funding, please visit chapter 3.

Both formal, qualifying adult education and training programmes and non-formal adult education and training programmes receive public funding. This includes the following adult education and training programmes:

  • Preparatory adult education (FVU);

  • General adult education (avu);

  • Higher preparatory single subject courses (hf);

  • Adult vocational training (AMU);

  • Vocational education and training for adults (euv);

  • Academy profession (part-time) programmes;

  • Diploma programmes;

  • Master programmes;

  • Evening classes;

  • Folk High Schools;

  • Day High Schools;

  • University extension courses.

For more information on the adult education and training programmes, please visit chapter 8.4.  

European funding plays no role in financing adult education and training.

Fees paid by learners

Generally, there are tuition fees for learners attending adult education and training programmes. There are some programmes without tuition fees, including preparatory adult education (FVU) and some adult vocational training programmes (AMU).

The tuition fees for AMU programmes depend on the learner’s educational background. Learners with a higher education background pay higher tuition fees than learners with a vocational education background. The tuition fees are determined on a yearly basis in the Finance Act.

The tuition fees for higher adult education and training programmes are determined by the institutions.

For an overview of the different adult education and training programmes and the tuition fees, please visit Voksenuddannelse.dk

Financial support for adult learners

Within the adult education and training system, learners can receive the following financial support:

  • VEU allowance;

  • State Educational Support for Adults (SVU).

VEU allowance

When attending vocational adult education and training, learners are entitled to a fixed allowance financed by the state if they meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • The learner participates in the education programme. The learner can only receive an allowance for the hours the school registers that the learner attends;

  • The learner participates in the education programme during work hours and as a result receives a reduced salary or no salary;

  • The learner must be employed at least 14 days before and after the education programme;

  • The learner’s education level cannot be higher than a vocational education;

  • The learner cannot receive public benefits;

  • The learner must not have a training contract, for instance as an adult apprentice.

The level of allowance is equal to the level of unemployment benefit. In 2024, the amount of the VEU allowance is DKK 4,700 per week (EUR 630).

When participating in vocational adult education and training, the learner receives a VEU allowance if he or she does not receive a salary while attending the education programme. If the learner receives a salary, the employer is granted the VEU allowance.

In addition, the learner can apply for a grant to pay for transportation costs.

State Educational Support for Adults (SVU)

SVU is state-funded financial support for adults intended towards those active in the Danish workforce, who wish to participate in supplementary education or continuing education and training. 

The applicant must meet the following general conditions, regardless of the education level for which SVU is applied for:

  • The applicant must be aged between 25 and the Danish age of retirement;

  • The applicant must be a Danish citizen, a resident in Denmark, or otherwise have an equal status with Danish citizens (i.e. EU- or EEA-citizen);

  • The applicant must have been enrolled or been considered eligible for enrolment in an SVU-approved education programme;

  • The applicant must be actively participating in classes/studies;

  • The applicant must not receive other forms of public benefits intended to cover his or her living expenses;

  • The applicant must not be entitled to receive a salary from a placement provider as a part of the education programme;

  • The applicant must have been employed at his or her current workplace in Denmark for a minimum of 26 weeks;

  • The applicant must have entered into an agreement with his or her workplace regarding leave for attending the education programme.

The SVU grant amount depends on which continuing education and training programme the learner attends. The table below shows the grant amounts in 2024.

SVU grant amounts in 2024

Education programme

Grant amount (per week)

Preparatory adult education and education for adults with dyslexia

DKK 4,700 (EUR 630)

Primary and lower secondary education level and upper secondary education level

DKK 3,760 (EUR 504)

Higher education level

DKK 2,820 (EUR 378)

 

 

The SVU grant may be given for up to 40 weeks of 37 hours. The minimum SVU grant is one full week of 37 hours. Participation in education that does not add up to at least 37 working hours will not be eligible for support.

Subsidies for private providers

In Denmark, there are no subsidies for private providers.

References

Bibliography

Danish Agency of Higher Education and Science (Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen), 2024a: English. [Accessed 6 February 2024]

Danish Agency of Higher Education and Science (Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen), 2024b: SVU grant amount 2024 (SVU-satser 2024). [Accessed 6 February 2024]

EducationGuide (UddannelsesGuiden), 2024a: Economy while attending AMU (Økonomi under AMU). [Accessed 6 February 2024]

EducationGuide (UddannelsesGuiden), 2024b: Preparatory adult education (Forberedende voksenundervisning (FVU)). [Accessed 6 February 2024]

Lifeindenmark.dk (Borger.dk), 2024: VEU allowance for vocational adult education and training programmes (VEU-godtgørelse til erhvervsrettet voksen- og videreuddannelse). [Accessed 6 February 2024]

Ministry of Children and Education, 2018: The taximeter system. [Accessed 6 February 2024]

Ministry of Children and Education (Børne- og Undervisningsministeriet), 2023: Tuition fees for AMU courses (Deltagerbetaling for AMU-kurser). [Accessed 6 February 2024]

Ministry of Higher Education and Science, 2022: General organisation and administration. [Accessed 6 February 2024]