A grant covering 90% of eligible tuition, course fees, or conference registration fees is available, up to a maximum of ISK 180,000 per calendar year. The amount awarded is deducted from the applicant's annual maximum grant entitlement.
Eligible work-related grants include job-related courses, online job-related courses, credit-bearing education, prior learning assessment (PLA), language courses, personal development courses offered in Iceland, and conferences relevant to the applicant's profession or work. For further details, see here.
Supporting Documents for Applications
1
Invoice in the Member's Name
The invoice must be issued through an electronic accounting system or from a pre-numbered invoice book. It must include a description of the education or course, as well as the name and registration number of the education or training provider.
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Foreign invoices are not required to include a registration number but must be issued in the applicant's name.
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A paid invoice must not be more than 12 months old. In addition, it must not have been issued before the applicant's first month of paid membership contributions to VR or another LÍV member union.
2
Proof of Payment
Proof of payment must be provided, such as a screenshot from online banking or a payment receipt.
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If payment is made under an instalment agreement, the application must include a copy of the instalment agreement and proof of the first payment from the bank. Instalment agreements must be with a financial institution, not directly with the educational provider.
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If an invoice has been paid only partly by card or bank transfer and the remaining balance has been paid in cash, reimbursement from the Fund will only be available for the portion paid by card or bank transfer. The cash-paid portion is not eligible for reimbursement.
3
Additional Information
If it is not clear how the education, course, or conference relates to the applicant's current job, the application must include an explanation of its relevance.
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When processing applications, the Fund only has access to information about the employer making contributions to the Fund, and, where applicable, the applicant's job title if they have added it to their profile on My Pages.
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For applications relating to work-related courses, the applicant's field of work is not always visible during the assessment process. Applicants must therefore provide a justification explaining how the course is relevant to their work, even if they consider the connection to be self-evident.
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Applications for conference grants must also include a link to the conference website.
4
If the Education, Course, or Conference Takes Place Abroad
Applications for education, courses, or conferences attended abroad must include a description of the programme, together with a link to the education provider's or conference organiser's website. For work-related grants, the application must also demonstrate how the education, course, or conference is relevant to the applicant's work. No justification is required for credit-bearing education.
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If invoices are issued in a language other than Icelandic or English, the application must include the relevant information in either Icelandic or English in order for the Fund to process the application.
Accumulated Grant Entitlement
If no application has been made to the Educational Fund for three consecutive years, accumulated grant entitlement is established. Members may then apply for a grant covering 90% of the tuition or course fee, up to a maximum of ISK 540,000, for a single continuous programme of study. The accumulated grant may only be claimed in a single application, and invoices must not be more than 12 months old at the time the application is submitted.
To qualify, employer contributions to the Fund must have been paid for at least 30 of the 36 months preceding the date of the application.
Where a member's entitlement to Educational Fund grants is calculated on a proportional basis, any grant paid—whether under the accumulated entitlement or the standard entitlement—will also be calculated proportionately (see Rule 2.1(c)).
Please note: The maximum grant available for language courses is ISK 180,000 per calendar year, and this limit also applies to members with accumulated grant entitlement. Members with accumulated entitlement may use the remaining balance towards a travel grant of up to ISK 150,000, covering no more than 50% of eligible travel and accommodation expenses.