The basic support from the student loan fund raises by 20% and is so raised to 120 thousand króna per month. The government has approved to grant the loan fund one billion króna in the national budget for 2010 to raise the basic support of the fund.

Some changes are also to be done on the interplay of student loans and unemployment benefits and the goal to encourage people to educate themselves, those who would otherwise be registered for unemployment benefit. Katrin Jakobsdottir minister of culture and education and Arni Pall Arnason minister of social affairs introduced the changes at a press conference today.

School fees at the Icelandic universities raise this fall when they are to be collected. The cost of being in basic study for a whole winter in the University of Reykjavik, the University Bifrost and the Art University of Iceland is now raising by 34-38 thousand króna. That equals 8-12% raise from last year.

The registry fee of the University of Iceland, University of Akureyri and the Agriculture University in Hvanneyri are going to stay the same at 45 thousand króna.

Close to 13 thousand university students have still not found a job for the summer, according to a survey made by the Student council of the University of Iceland. From these 13 thousand are 9700 sure they will not find a job this summer.