Association of Norwegian Students Abroad

The Association of Norwegian Students Abroad (ANSA, in Norwegian: Samskipnaden for norske studenter i utlandet) is a non-profit and membership based organisation aiming to voice the educational, cultural, political and economic interests of Norwegian students studying outside Norway and to promote overseas students as a valuable resource to domestic employers.

As of 2009/2010 20,165 Norwegian students were studying abroad. In 2012 ANSA has 9,500 members at over 1200 educational institutions in more than 60 countries.

ANSA in particular works to influence rules and regulations governing student grants and loans, arguing that all students should have the right to study any subject in any country as they wish. The Norwegian government has a been funding higher education for Norwegian students abroad for more than 60 years, with the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund (Lånekassen) providing students with loans and grants. ANSA was founded by Norwegian students in 1956 to address difficulties students encountered in dealing with Lånekassen.

The organisation targets services at students prior to, during, and after studies abroad. A range of membership benefits are central in attracting students as members. ANSA's Information Centre for higher education abroad is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research to provide unbiased advice on higher education abroad. The Membership Department deals with enquiries from potential and current members, while ANSA's Student Adviser provides advice to students encountering problems during their studies abroad, such as with regards to their university, their insurance, or Lånekassen.