Danish student grant shuts internationals out of internships

Since Christina Egelund took office as Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science in the winter of 2022, she has made it her priority that Danish universities work more closely with the business sector.

But for one group of students that is proving more difficult. And this in spite of the fact that Danish companies are eager to get their hands on them.

EU and European Economic Area (EEA) students in Denmark have the right to the Danish student grant SU if they have a paid job for at least 10–12 hours a week. But if the students want to do an internship as part of their university studies, they either have to give up this student grant or meet the employment requirement on top of their full-time internship.

»I’m stressed about the situation«

26-year-old Réka Joo, who sees an internship as a key part of her master’s programme in Global Development at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH), found herself caught up in the dilemma this spring and has now made her decision:

»Internships are pretty decisive in terms of job prospects in my field. But I had to drop it because I would otherwise lose my SU. To meet the requirements, I would have to work from Monday to Sunday non-stop for four months, and that’s just not sustainable,« she says to the University Post.

On the master’s programme where Réka Joo is in her third semester, both students and lecturers see university internships as a given if you want to write a good master’s thesis and land a job after graduation:

»My fellow students choose internships to gain experience and build their networks, so they have a foot in the door when we finish,« she says, adding:

»And our lecturers say that even though it’s not mandatory, your thesis should be based on your internship or fieldwork — which, by the way, you also have to fund yourself.«

Réka Joo is concerned about her future job prospects in what she describes as a »tough and unstable« job market for new graduates:

»I’m stressed about the situation I’m in right now, and I truly believe that an internship could help me in the future. But it’s just not financially viable.«

An old problem

At the National Union of Students in Denmark (DSF), which represents students across higher education, it is a well-known issue:

This is a group of students we are very keen to bring into the Danish labour market

Mads Eriksen Storm, Head of Education and Research Policy, Danish Chamber of Commerce

»We recognise the problem,« says DSF chair Christoffer Rosenkvist.

DSF argues that international EU and EEA students should be allowed to get SU during internships, even if they do not also have a paid job. The internship fulfils the same purpose as the requirement for a job in Danish SU legislation, in their view: to ensure a genuine connection to the Danish labour market.

In practice, these students put in the required hours and contribute actively to a company or organisation — just without pay, because the internship is part of their studies, says DSF. So the working hours are effectively covered through the internship.

Labour scholar: Rules seem counterproductive

According to Bent Greve, professor of labour market policy at Roskilde University, it is counterproductive to have rules that complicate things for students who come to Denmark to study:

»Some of those who come here to study are people we would really like to stay and work here. And they’ll only do that if they can see a path to a job in the Danish labour market. If that path is blocked by SU rules, then it’s important to change them,« he says, noting that internships in particular can benefit international students:

»It can be hard to find study-relevant jobs, and that makes it harder for international students to land a job afterwards. Internships can help them get that connection to the labour market. Seen in that light, you could argue that internships should be exempt from the 10–12 hour work requirement, because they ensure that education becomes valuable to society — meaning students can actually get a job and put their education to use.«

Chamber of Commerce: Makes business master’s attractive

The Danish Chamber of Commerce acknowledges that under the current rules, internships as a part of university studies are less attractive financially for EU and EEA students. But Mads Eriksen Storm, Head of Education and Research Policy at the Chamber of Commerce, sees that the current rules have potential to bolster the Danish business master’s scheme — a two-year, 120 ECTS programme structured as a four-year part-time course, where the student works alongside their studies.

»We’re very focussed on making the business master’s scheme work, and perhaps this makes it more attractive for EU citizens to choose that path. It is definitely a group of students we’re eager to integrate into the Danish labour market,« he says.

The University Post asked Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund about the consequences of the rules for international students and whether they align with the government’s own objectives. In a written reply, the Ministry of Higher Education and Science states that the minister does not wish to comment on the matter.

This article was first written in Danish and published on 4 November 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.