Welcome to Folk High School Sørlandet on the net! 

Folk High School Sørlandet is a Norwegian boarding school. We offer a wide range of courses for Norwegian students and a course for international students in Norwegian language and culture. This section offers information about this and other courses, the school, important dates, economical issues, application and also about the opportunity to contact us. Note that applicants from other countries must have relatives or friends in Norway who can take the responsibility of a Contact Person between the school and the student. This person must be fluent in Norwegian and have a Norwegian residence. The Contact Person is also supposed to invite the student to stay with him or her in the school’s holidays (the Autumn, Christmas, Winter and Easter holidays), as the school is closed on these occations.

The school

As mentioned, Folk High School Sørlandet (Former Birkeland Folk High School) is a boarding school. The Folk High Schools focus on the combination of academic learning and an active social environment. With about 120 other people plus staff around you 24 hours of the day, you really learn to interact within a large group. The students come from all the different parts of Norway and from many other countries as well.

The school has a very international profile with a course in global focus in addition to the course for international students. You'll get the opportunity to make many friends from many different parts of the world.

The school is situated on the southernmost part of Norway, only 30 kilometres (48 miles) northeast of Kristiansand. Kristiansand international airport Kjevik is only 20 kilometres (32 miles) away. See map for details.

Courses

At Folk High School Sørlandet we have several different courses, e.g. Computing, Music, Outdoor Life and Sports. Unless you have good skills in Norwegian already, however, the only option is the course for international students. The students taking this course come from many countries, and they will during the academic year learn Norwegian and about Norwegian culture.

Economy

At Folk High School Sørlandet we operate close to the minimum charges for staying at Folk High Schools in Norway. For the school year 2008/2009 the following figures are valid:

1. Admissions fee (which must be paid when you are admitted to the school): NOK 1.200,-
2. Tuition fee (food and lodging in twin bed room): NOK 49.700,-
3. The students may choose between different school trips:
a) Hovden in Norway
b) Budapest
c) Vietnam
d) Kenya
4. Books, materials, etc.: app. NOK 2.500,-
5. Other costs (copying fee, use of washing machine, etc.): app. NOK 6.250,-
6. Joint trips, excursions etc.: app. NOK 1.000,-

Total (cheapest stydy trip included): app. NOK 60.650,-

Note that the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration demands that applicants from other countries pay 140% of the tuition fee (equals NOK 70.000,-) to the school's bank account, before they will process any application for a residency permit.

You may contact the school if you want to receive a payment plan for your stay.

NOTE! Every folk-high school, including Birkeland, has a rule that any student who quits prematurely must pay for six weeks in addition to the time he or she stays at the school.

Scholarships and loans

Foreign students will normally not be granted scholarships or loans from Statens Lånekasse (official students' borrowing facility) in Norway .

Application

Online application

Or contact the school and ask for information and an application form by mail. Please complete the form, and send it to us (see adress below).

Contact the school There are various ways of getting in touch with us, and please do: • E-mail: post(at)fhssorlandet.no • Telephone: +47 37 28 11 00 • Telefax: +47 37 28 11 01 • Postal address:    Folkehøgskolen Sørlandet,    Sentrum,    N-4760 Birkeland    Norway

Inger Lise Woie, main teacher of the International course. e-mail: inger.lise.w(at)fhssorlandet.no

Welcome to Sørlandet!

Photo galleries from the school