Reykjavík District Court ruled today that the Student Loan Fund and the Icelandic government do not have the authority to raise requirements on receiving a student loan.
Morgunblaðið reports that the Student Council of the University of Iceland and related parties were right to object to proposed requirements on receiving a student loan. The changes – which were brought to light earlier this summer – would have raised the minimum credit requirement for receiving a student loan for the 2013-14 school year from 18 credits to 22 credits.
Daníel Isebarn Ágústsson, the lawyer for the University Student Council, told reporters in July that the purpose of the raised requirements was simply to reduce the number of university students, which he contended was illegal. The changes would have affected thousands of students, and led to widespread public outcry.
Minister of Education Illugi Gunnarsson countered that the move was necessary, given the current national budget constraints the government is facing.
With the court’s ruling, these changes cannot be applied to the coming school year. No word yet on whether or not the government intends to apply these changes to school years further in the future.
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