Practical information for students in Sønderborg

Housing benefits

If you rent a permanent residence with your own kitchen, you may be eligible for housing benefit to help cover your rent. Housing benefit is a financial support scheme that many students are entitled to, but often forget to apply for.

Whether you can receive housing benefit – and how much – depends on several factors, including:

• The household income
• The number of children and adults living in the home
• The amount of rent you pay
• The size of the residence

Udbetaling Danmark is responsible for processing your application and paying out the benefit. You can read more about the rules for housing benefits here.

State education grant (SU)

Are you about to start an education programme and are at least 18 years old? Then you may be eligible for SU – short for Statens Uddannelsesstøtte (State Education Grant). SU is financial support provided to students, allowing you to receive monthly payments while studying – either as a grant or as an SU loan, which must be repaid later.

To be eligible for SU, you must meet one of the following conditions:

• Hold the citizenship of an EU/EEA country
• Have worked in Denmark (usually for a certain period of time)
• Be a family member of a person with Danish or EU/EEA citizenship who is employed in Denmark

SU is available for both upper secondary education (e.g. Gymnasium, HF and vocational programmes) and higher education (universities, professional bachelor programmes and business academies).

It is also important that you are actively studying and do not earn too much money on the side or receive other types of public support – such as unemployment benefits or social assistance – if you wish to continue receiving SU.

You can find more information about the SU rules here.

Youth card (Ungdomskort)

The Youth Card allows you to travel to and from your school or place of study at a reduced price – and it actually offers more travel benefits than you might expect.

It works as a commuter card, where you pay a fixed low price and can travel freely by bus and train between your home and your place of study, as well as within your local area. In addition, you receive discounts on bus and train journeys throughout the rest of the country.

You can get a Youth Card if you meet one of the following conditions:

• You are a pupil in an upper secondary education programme
• You are a student in a higher education programme
• You are between 16 and 19 years old

If you are a student, your educational institution must confirm your enrollment before you can order a Youth Card.

If you are 16–19 years old but not in education, you can still order a Youth Card without such confirmation.

The Youth Card is available digitally via the “Rejsebillet” app or as a physical travel card (rejsekort), giving you access to the same discounts and travel benefits available to young travellers.

If you do not meet the requirements for a Youth Card, a commuter card or travel card may be a good alternative.

Read more about the rules and how to apply for a Youth Card here.

Student discounts in Sønderborg

As a student, you can save a lot of money by taking advantage of the many student discounts available throughout Sønderborg. Always remember to bring your student ID card – whether you’re heading to a café, starting a new leisure activity, or visiting a museum, as many places offer discounts for students.

You can find an overview of local businesses in Sønderborg offering student discounts on the Vores Sønderborg website.

Here, you’ll find everything from cafés and restaurants to leisure activities and cultural experiences – all giving you access to great offers and savings with your student card.