Foreign students perform well, but the system has shortcomings

Sweden’s goal concerning third-country students (from non-EU/EEA countries) is to enhance the quality of education at higher education institutions and that they should remain in Sweden and contribute to future research and the labour market.

Following indications that the quality objectives are not met and that the system is being misused, the Swedish National Audit Office has examined the effectiveness of the system for the admission and education of third-country students.

The audit shows that third-country students perform at least as well as Swedish students in the same programmes of study. Nearly 45 per cent remain in Sweden after five years and a large proportion of the students have begun postgraduate studies or have become established in the labour market. Many of them conduct research in the field of technology, while those who have started working often do so in professions that require a degree in science, technology or information technology.

However, there have been problems concerning insufficient academic skills in certain student groups and in certain programmes of study, especially in programmes in which all those who meet the general entry requirements were admitted. For students coming to Sweden who have often invested significant resources in their education, their failure will have consequences. When students’ prior academic skills are too poor, universities also find it difficult to maintain the quality of the education. This is why it is important that students who are admitted have the necessary conditions to succeed. By offering fewer places, universities can generate higher competition for the places, which means that students with better prior academic skills would be accepted.

The audit also shows that the admission process is long and information to applicants is inadequate. The long process is mainly due to the fact that the Swedish Migration Agency’s processing times for residence permits for studies has gradually increased in recent years. Long processing times for extension applications also make it difficult for students to return to Sweden after their summer break.

“The risk is that Sweden will lose qualified students to competing universities in other countries with quicker and more transparent processes,” says Auditor General Christina Gellerbrant Hagberg.

At present, there is no overall follow-up at national level of third-country students’ academic achievements, and universities do not report any information on this matter to the Government. Furthermore, universities lack sufficient conditions to conduct their own follow-ups.

“This is a shortcoming that makes it difficult to adjust entry requirements and improve recruitment strategies to ensure that third country students are admitted to programmes where they can benefit most from their studies,” says Jenny Hedström Project Leader for the audit.

The Swedish National Audit Office finds no evidence to indicate widespread misuse of student residence permits. On the other hand, the audit shows deficiencies in the Swedish Migration Agency’s control of accompanying family members of students applying for a residence permit. This is problematic, because there are incentives to misuse the system. Family members accompanying a student can study without paying tuition fees and are permitted to work without meeting the requirements for a work permit.