SU, the Danish State Educational Grant (Equal Status Groups)

SU is the Danish state educational grant. For foreign citizens, the usual route is through equal status with Danish citizens. The SU website sets out the Danish rules for this. You apply for equal status, and if you get it, you can apply for SU for a study programme in Denmark.

The rules are a list of situations. You might have come to Denmark with your parents. You might be married to a Danish citizen. You might have worked in Denmark for at least two years, or lived there for at least five. Other groups are named too, including members of the Danish minority in Southern Slesvig.

You do not need to fit every rule. You can apply under several rules at once, but you only have to meet the conditions of one of them to be granted equal status. The page also notes that the rules for revoking equal status differ depending on whether it was granted under Danish rules or EU law.

Two practical points come up. If you have had equal status before and apply for SU for a new study programme, you do not have to apply for equal status again. But if you have lived outside Denmark for more than two continuous years, your equal status is no longer valid and you must apply again.

There is a warning for third-country nationals who hold a residence permit as a student. You may not receive public assistance or benefit payments, including SU. Receiving SU could affect your right to stay in Denmark. It is your responsibility to keep to the rules for your stay. Questions about those rules go to the immigration authorities at nyidanmark.dk.

• You came to Denmark together with your parents.
• You are married to a Danish citizen.
• You have worked in Denmark for a minimum of 2 years.
• You have resided in Denmark for a minimum period of 5 years.
• You belong to the Danish minority in Southern Slesvig.
• You fall within Section 2(2), (3) or (4) of the Act on Integration of Aliens in Denmark.
• You are a Turkish child of a Turkish worker: both you and your parent are Turkish citizens, your parent is or has been a worker in Denmark, and you and your parent have residence in Denmark at the time of the application.

You can apply under several rules at the same time. You only have to fulfil the conditions of one of the rules to be granted equal status.

• Equal status with Danish citizens under the Danish rules.
• Once equal status is granted, you can apply for SU for a study programme in Denmark.

If you have been granted equal status according to Danish rules, you cannot receive SU for a whole study programme abroad.

1. Check which Danish rule you may qualify under. The page lists the groups: came to Denmark with your parents, married to a Danish citizen, worked in Denmark for at least 2 years, resided in Denmark for at least 5 years, Danish minority in Southern Slesvig, Section 2(2), (3) or (4) of the Act on Integration of Aliens in Denmark, or Turkish child of a Turkish worker.
2. Apply for equal status with Danish citizens under the rule or rules that fit your situation. You can apply under several rules at once, but you only need to meet the conditions of one.
3. If you have previously been granted equal status under the Danish rules and are applying for SU for a new study programme, you do not have to apply for equal status again. But you must apply again if you have lived outside Denmark for a continuous period of more than two years.
4. If you are a third-country national with a student residence permit, check the rules for your right to stay before you receive SU. Contact the immigration authorities at nyidanmark.dk with questions.

Confirm every detail on the official page before you apply.