University of Iceland to Raise Registration Fee

2026-02-17 - 14:15

The University of Iceland will increase its annual registration fee from ISK 75,000 to ISK 100,000, following a decision by the University Council on 12 February. The fee has remained unchanged since 2014. As reported by RÚV, Rector Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir said the adjustment reflects rising costs but will not significantly alter the institution’s overall financial position. Silja Bára Ómarsdóttir. Photo: Te1995. Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain. Funding Pressures Cited “It has remained the same since 2014. If it were just price increases that had occurred, that fee should be 115 to 120 thousand krónur. The actual cost that falls on the school is closer to 180 thousand. It doesn’t change much even if that increase comes in as well.” The fee rise was approved at the same meeting where the council adopted a resolution stating that the university’s budget would need to increase by more than 20% by 2026 to remain comparable with Nordic universities. Based on 2024 comparisons, the institution estimates it requires over ISK 6 billion in additional annual funding. Recent financial constraints have affected operations, including the suspension of postdoctoral fellowships and the closure of certain doctoral grants. “In order for us to be on par with our partner schools, with whom we are supposed to compete and conduct research, teach in the same way, we need about six billion so that we can do our work. We are talking about things that we could do much better if we had adequate funding.”