Terms and Conditions

Alfaskolen’s school regulations

1. General school rules:

1.1. Alfaskolen provides a respectful and inclusive learning environment where all students are welcome, regardless of background, identity, beliefs, or who they love. Discrimination, racism, or harassment of any kind is not tolerated. Students and teachers come here to learn and not to convince others of their beliefs or convictions.
1.2. Both teachers and students should work in pleasant conditions. Quarrelling, swearing, and using offensive language are not tolerated. We expect everyone in our school to treat each other with respect. Do not laugh at or criticize other classmates’ mistakes. Remember that everybody is here to learn.
1.3. Course attendance at Alfaskolen is restricted to registered participants. Family members, children, friends, and so on, are not permitted to audit classes. To stay unaccompanied in Alfaskolen’s common areas, children must be over the age of 12. Pets are not allowed on the premises of Alfaskolen.
1.4. It is forbidden to smoke inside the building. Persons smoking outside the building are asked not to throw any cigarette ends or anything else on the building stairs or around. Persons caught smoking inside the building will be charged a fine of 2500 NOK.
1.5. Persons under the influence of alcohol and/or any other substances will be asked to leave the school with no right to compensation for missed lessons.
1.6. Violation of rules 1.1-1.5 will be followed by an official warning; repetitive behavior will lead to expulsion from the school with no right to any refund of the value of the remaining classes of the participant’s course.
1.7. There may be information on our websites that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions, including descriptions, pricing, availability, and various other information. Alfaskolen reserves the right to correct any errors, inaccuracies, or omissions and to change or update information on the websites at any time, without prior notice.

2. Participation & conduct:

2.1. All courses are taught purely in Norwegian with fast progression unless a course description states otherwise. Familiarity with the Latin alphabet is required (fast progression, spor 3).
2.2. Classroom-based courses cannot be filmed and attended remotely. No classes are recorded and archived as this goes against the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2.3. It is strictly forbidden to take screenshots, film or photos of presentations, slides, or other course materials during classroom-based or online courses, without explicit permission from Alfaskolen. This material is protected by copyright.
2.4. Keep class disturbance to a minimum; this includes coming to class on time with your phone and other devices on silent. Participants who repeatedly disturb the class can be asked to leave without any refund.
2.5.  Attendance is considered valid only when participants actively engage in the class, including active participation in both individual and group activities. If you are attending online, your audio and camera must be on for the entire class. The teacher’s assessment determines whether your participation meets the criteria for active attendance.
2.6. Questions regarding the lesson should be asked during the lessons. The teacher has the right and obligation to rest during breaks.
2.7. Any administrative questions, for example, regarding course dates, fees or school opening times should be directed at reception, not to the teachers.
2.8. You are responsible for the working order of your own equipment (such as computer, microphone, keyboard, and internet connection). If there are problems with your equipment or internet connection, the lesson will be considered completed and cannot be rescheduled. If your online teacher has problems with their equipment or internet access, you can schedule a new online lesson without extra costs.

3. Course framework

3.1. Our courses and the school are approved by the Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills (HK-dir). Specific rules apply to persons covered by the Introduction program. If you are entitled or obliged to complete hours of approved tuition, you must inform the school about this when signing up for a course. The school cannot issue certificates with approved hours if you have not requested this before the course starts as the process requires mapping your skills and requirements beforehand.
3.2. The length of our courses is stated in lesson hours per session. One lesson hour lasts 45 minutes.
3.3. Teachers are there to help the students within the school’s syllabus. They do not translate letters or other texts, nor do they fill out application forms, etc. The teacher’s task is to teach according to the Norwegian syllabus.
3.4. The use of course books or digital resources is obligatory. The cost of books for classroom-based courses is not included in the course fees. Assigned books can be purchased at our school within the reception’s opening hours, in Norwegian bookshops or online. Only when the school clearly provides the information that the course materials are included in the price, will there be no need to purchase books.
3.5. A digital course certificate will be provided to all students who have attended a minimum of 80% of the lesson hours. For certificates of approved hours, see rule 3.1. As an addition to, or instead of, the regular course certificate, the reception can issue a certificate indicating the number of hours attended. There is a fee of 265 NOK for this certificate. This fee applies to any document that is manually produced by the administration.
3.6. All course schedule times are stated in Norwegian standard time (Central European Time or Central European Summer time).

4. Registration & Payment:

4.1. Course registrations for classroom-based courses are limited to students who turn 18 years of age during the calendar year in which the course takes place. For online courses, the minimum age is 15 years of age. Students under this age limit can only be admitted to our courses by special acceptance from the Alfaskolen administration. For all students under the age of 18, their legal guardian or parent must send a written confirmation by email.
4.2. Participants are personally responsible for determining whether they are covered by the Norwegian introductory program. Alfaskolen does not provide guidance on eligibility for the introductory program. All questions regarding rights or obligations under the introductory program must be directed to UDI or the relevant authorities.
4.3. Participants are responsible for providing complete and accurate personal information at the time of registration. Alfaskolen does not take responsibility for incorrect or incomplete information submitted during the registration process.
4.4. A registration for the course is binding when the school has received one of the following:
4.4.1. A completed online registration through Alfaskolen’s websites, www.alfaskolen.no or www.learnnorwegian.online.
4.4.2. An e-mail which includes the applicant’s full name, address, phone number, date of birth, the name and start date of the course, and confirmation that the applicant has read and accepts Alfaskolen’s school regulations.
4.5. Students are responsible for signing up to the correct course level. To estimate your level, you may take a free placement test provided by Alfaskolen to assess your level before signing up for a course. If you sign up for an incorrect level due to your own mistaken estimate of a course level, you will be charged applicable course changing fees for changing your course level, see section 6.
4.6. Participants are responsible for keeping their personal information up to date, including telephone number, email address, home address, and any other relevant details. Alfaskolen cannot be held responsible for consequences resulting from outdated or incorrect contact information.
4.7. Alfaskolen cannot be held responsible for administrative emails (course links, homework, etc.) being diverted into the participants’ spam folder. Participants are responsible for ensuring that emails from the domain ‘@alfaskolen.no’ are not marked as spam.
4.8. Alfaskolen is a private provider of Norwegian language and social studies courses. All participants are required to pay course fees, regardless of whether they are covered by the Norwegian introductory program.
4.9. All course payments should be made on www.alfaskolen.no or www.learnnorwegian.online. Payment by invoice is accepted when a company is paying for the course. Private persons can receive an invoice only by special request. This option applies only to persons with residence in Norway and who have a Norwegian Personal number. Course fees paid by cash at our school are subject to an additional fee of 85 NOK.
4.9.1. In all cases, the responsibility of payment falls to the registered participant. If payment is late or withheld, Alfaskolen reserves the right to send an invoice to the student with a 7-day due date. We strongly discourage signing up for a course without explicit written acceptance from a third-party payer.
4.10. Applicants registering through www.alfaskolen.no may choose to divide their course payment using a third-party payment provider (Klarna). This solution is subject to a credit check carried out by the provider, and registration will only be confirmed once credit is approved. In special cases, applicants may request to divide their course payment into two installments for an additional fee of 300 NOK. This option is only available to those with residence in Norway who hold a Norwegian personal identification number, and who notify the school of this request at the time of registration. The installment option must be arranged manually.
4.11. The course fee for the One-Year Programs can be paid in four equal instalments, after consultation with the reception. The first installment will include a fee of 400 NOK. This applies only to persons with residence in Norway and who have a Norwegian Personal number. Due to administrative reasons, this option is only possible when the participant informs the school about this when signing up.
4.12. Invoices/payments which are not paid by the due date (‘betalingsfrist’) will be processed in accordance with Norwegian law and the amount due will be registered in the Norwegian debt collection office (‘Inkasso’). The ‘Inkassobyrå’ is an external institution that calculates and charges late fees and accrued interest. Once an outstanding payment has been sent to inkasso, Alfaskolen can no longer administer any fees or deadlines attached to the payment.
4.13. Alfaskolen reserves the right to withhold the participant’s course certificate (‘kursbevis’) after the last lesson, if the participant’s course has not yet been paid.
4.14. Alfaskolen does not cover additional costs when making a payment from an international bank: the service fees plus any fees charged by the course payer’s own bank are to be covered by the course payer. In cases where the bank fees are significant, Alfaskolen will request the missing amount.

5. Special purchases

5.1. For courses offered with a discount, campaign price, or package price, the conditions of that offer apply. Such offers cannot be combined with other discounts, campaigns, or special arrangements. Where specified, certain offers may not be available to visa applicants. Participants are expected to familiarize themselves with the applicable conditions before enrolling.
5.2. Major campaign purchases: This clause applies to courses purchased during major promotional campaigns explicitly designated by Alfaskolen (e.g., Black Friday, seasonal flash sales, or other time-limited campaigns). It does not apply to standard early bird pricing or regular discounts. For campaigns covered by this clause, the following conditions apply and take precedence over section 6, except where mandatory Norwegian consumer law applies:
5.2.1. The 14-day right of withdrawal under rule 6.1 applies as normal. During this period, the participant is entitled to a full refund.
5.2.2. After the 14-day withdrawal period, the purchase is non-refundable. Cancellations will be issued as course credit in accordance with rule 5.4.
5.2.3. Course credit issued under this clause may be used as follows:
a) Toward another course purchased during an ongoing major campaign, at the applicable campaign price.
b) Toward a course outside any campaign, in which case the credit will be valued at the campaign price paid, and the participant must pay the difference up to the standard price of the new course.
5.2.4. Course credit issued under this clause cannot be refunded, including after the 12-month validity period has expired. This constitutes an exception to rule 6.6.1.
5.2.5. These conditions are clearly communicated at the point of sale, and completion of the purchase constitutes acceptance of these terms.
5.3. Package purchases (multi-course registrations): This clause applies to participants who register for multiple course levels or modules simultaneously and receive a combined package price. It takes precedence over section 6, except where mandatory Norwegian consumer law applies.
5.3.1. The package is considered a single purchase. The 14-day right of withdrawal under rule 6.1 runs from the date of the registration confirmation email, regardless of the start dates of the individual courses included in the package. During this period, the participant is entitled to a full refund.
5.3.2. After the 14-day withdrawal period, the package price is binding in full. The cancellation and change-of-course rules in section 6 do not apply on a per-course basis to courses included in a package. Withdrawal from, or non-attendance of, one or more individual courses within the package does not entitle the participant to a partial refund, course credit, or reduction of the remaining package fee.
5.3.3. Rescheduling of an individual course within the package to a later start date may be accommodated at Alfaskolen’s discretion, subject to availability and to the administrative fee set out in rule 6.4. The package discount is retained.
5.3.4. In case of documented illness (see rule 6.7.2), the participant may defer the affected course to a later group within 12 months, subject to availability. The package discount is retained.
5.3.5. If the participant wishes to withdraw from the entire package after the 14-day withdrawal period, the package is non-refundable. Cancellation will be issued as course credit in accordance with rule 5.4.
5.3.6. Course credit issued under this clause may be used as follows:
a) Toward another package purchase, at the applicable package price.
b) Toward an individual course or other booking outside a package, in which case the credit will be valued at the package price paid, and the participant must pay the difference up to the standard price of the new course or booking.
5.3.7. Course credit issued under this clause cannot be refunded, including after the 12-month validity period has expired. This constitutes an exception to rule 6.6.1.
5.3.8. If Alfaskolen cancels or postpones a course included in the package under rule 6.5, the participant will be offered an equivalent alternative at no additional cost. If no acceptable alternative can be provided, a proportional refund calculated from the package price (not the standard course price) will be issued for the affected course.
5.4. General rules for course credit: Unless otherwise stated, course credit issued under section 5 is:
a) equal to the amount paid,
b) valid for 12 months from the date of purchase,
c) non-transferable to another person, and
d) not refundable.
5.5. If a participant enrolled in a course with a discount or special promotion chooses to transfer to another course on their own initiative, the original discount or promotion will not be transferred. The participant must pay the difference between the discounted price paid and the standard price of the new course. This does not apply where the change is initiated by Alfaskolen. In such cases, any discount or promotion originally granted will be retained.

6. Cancellations & changes

6.1. Norwegian “angrerett”: Registrations carried out on Alfaskolen’s website are subject to the Norwegian «right to withdraw» (Angreretten) kap.6 § 20. The withdrawal deadline is 14 days (as in kap.6 § 21) from the day the course participant receives the email confirming the registration. The withdrawal form may be filled out and submitted at the latest on the day of the deadline. The form can be sent by email to info@alfaskolen.no, or delivered to Kongens gate 15, 0153 Oslo. According to § 26 of “Angreretten”, the participant is obligated to pay for all sessions held before the date of exercising the right to withdraw. Registrations carried out on Alfaskolen’s premises are subject only to Alfaskolen’s own resignation conditions.
6.2. Resignations for courses are only accepted when they are submitted in writing within the applicable deadlines, either by e-mail, through the school’s website or delivered to the reception. The school does not accept any resignations over the phone. A registration for a course will be considered as binding until a written resignation is received by the school.
6.3. The following rules apply to resignations and course changes (does not apply to visa applicants, see section 8):
6.3.1. Free of charge: Alfaskolen allows resignations from the course free of charge when the resignation is received in written form 8 or more calendar days before the course start date. A full refund can be made by request. Example: if a course starts on 15 January, the participant can resign from the course free of charge up to and including 7th of January.
6.3.2. Late cancellation fee: Registrants resigning from the course 7 calendar days or less before the course start date will not be charged the full course amount, but WILL be charged a resignation fee (see rule 6.4). Example: if a course starts on 15 January and the participant resigns in the period 8th-14th of January, he/she will be charged a resignation fee.
6.3.3. No refund: Resignations received on or after the first day of the course are not accepted.  The full course fee will not be refunded, and any outstanding payments will need to be made by the set due date. The participant holds no right to any form of refund or compensation for any paid or outstanding amount if they leave the course before the end date. The only exception to this is described in rule 6.1.
6.3.4. Registrants who have been accepted to a One-Year Program and do not require a visa may cancel their registration up to 30 calendar days before the program start date and receive a full refund. For cancellations received fewer than 30 calendar days before the start date, a 10% administrative fee will be deducted from the refund (see rule 6.4). Resignations received on or after the program start date are not accepted.
6.4. Alfaskolen’s resignation and change of course fees are as follows:
a) One-Year Programs: 10% of the full course fee.
b) Summer courses: 25% of the first week’s course fee. 
c) All other courses: 35% of the full course fee.
6.5.  A scheduled course will start when the required minimum number of participants has signed up and confirmed their participation. The school reserves the right to cancel or postpone a course when the number of confirmed participants is lower than required. The school also holds the right to change/adjust start dates, times, and teachers.
6.6. Participants who choose to defer a course instead of receiving an immediate refund may retain the paid amount as a credit balance for future use. The following terms apply to credit balances:
6.6.1. Credit balances arising from either course cancellations or postponals by Alfaskolen (in accordance with rule 6.5) or participant withdrawals in line with rule 6.3.1, where no immediate refund is requested, may be refunded in full within 12 months from the original purchase date. Refund requests submitted after this period will be subject to an administrative fee equivalent to 20% of the course fee.
6.6.2. Participants with a valid credit balance may transfer to a new course without additional cost, provided the course fee remains unchanged. If the course price has increased, the participant will be required to pay the difference. Exceptions may be made for specific course types, at Alfaskolen’s discretion, and will be communicated in those individual cases.
6.6.3. All credit balances issued as a result of course withdrawal, discontinuation, postponement, or course cancellation—regardless of reason, including illness, family emergency, or cancellations made by Alfaskolen—must be used within 12 months from the original purchase date. After the 12-month period has expired, any unused credit balance will no longer be valid for course enrollment. Participants retaining unused credit beyond this period may still request a refund; however, such refunds will be processed in accordance with rule 6.6.1 regarding administrative fees for refund requests submitted after 12 months.
6.7. The following rules apply in cases of illness or other external circumstances:
6.7.1. (Does not apply to One-Year Programs) It is possible to change from one ongoing course to another due to external, unexpected circumstances (e.g., illness of a close family member) by paying an administrative fee (see rule 6.4, points b and c). The participant will continue lessons in an equivalent group, starting from where they left off in the previous group. Please note that a course group change can be arranged only after the reception has received and approved a valid written reason, such as a doctor’s note regarding illness. The school does not accept course change requests by phone.
6.7.2. If the student is no longer able to participate in the course due to illness, they need to present a doctor’s note to the reception to be allowed to change to another course group free of charge or have the remaining hours of the course refunded. The refund amount will be calculated from the day the school received the documentation (not from the date stated on the document). An administrative fee of 35% will be deducted from the refund.
6.8. The right to cancel for self-study courses becomes void the moment the customer receives and activates access to the digital learning resources. Until access has been granted, cancellation and a full refund may be granted.
6.9. Alfaskolen refunds within 7 working days. Please note that international transactions may take several days or weeks, depending on the receiving bank. Refunds will normally be issued only to the same payment method, account, or person that originally made the purchase. For security and fraud-prevention reasons, Alfaskolen will generally not transfer refunds to third-party accounts.
6.10. Any interest accrued on funds held in any of Alfaskolen’s bank accounts is the sole property of Alfaskolen AS. 

7. Individual & drop-in lessons

7.1. Participants may purchase access to ongoing lessons, so-called drop-in classes, if there is a place available. The price for drop-in sessions is 660 NOK per session (courses held on Saturdays count as two sessions).
7.2. Participants taking part in drop-in sessions and 1-on-1 individual lessons can postpone a lesson at the latest 24 hours before the scheduled meeting. If a lesson is scheduled for a Monday or the day after a national holiday, participants must contact Alfaskolen on the previous business day between 08:00 and 16:00 to postpone. In cases where the school is notified too late or in case of a no-show, the participant will be charged for the missed lesson.
7.3. Participants who book a course with one-to-one access to an online teacher have access to their online teacher only during the course period. The Zoom-meetings and the written exercises must therefore be completed during this course period. In addition to Zoom-meetings (45 minutes each), participants may contact their online teacher with questions related to the course or meetings by e-mail in the course period.
7.4. All one-to-one Zoom-meetings must be scheduled in the period 08:00 – 20:00 (Norwegian standard time), Monday to Friday unless you and your online teacher have agreed otherwise.
7.5. Access to self-study products and 1-to-1 individual lessons must be activated within 6 months from the date of purchase. If the product is not started within this period, it will expire and cannot be refunded or reactivated. For individual lessons, once the course has been started, it must be completed within 6 months from the start date. Any remaining lessons not used within this timeframe will expire and cannot be refunded or reactivated, unless otherwise agreed with the school due to exceptional circumstances. 
7.6. If your purchased course includes access to a digital resource, your access is limited to the period from the date you receive your user account information to the end-date of the course. This is your private user account and must not be shared with anyone. If you share this account with another person, you will lose access to the digital resource.
7.7. If you wish to extend your access to the online resources or request additional Zoom-meetings and/or written exercises, you must contact Alfaskolen. 

8. Visa and Student Deposit Account:

8.1. Alfaskolen is a private Norwegian language school and an approved provider of Norwegian language and social studies tuition for adults. Alfaskolen is not a university, university college, vocational school, school of upper secondary education, religion/belief-based school, folk high school, or other institution that normally qualifies students for a Norwegian study permit under UDI’s study permit rules. Alfaskolen’s courses, including the One-Year Program, are Norwegian language courses and do not normally constitute a basis for a Norwegian study permit.
8.2. Applicants who require an official admission letter from the school for visa/permit applications, are obliged to sign up and pay the full course fee of a full-level course (96 hours) before such a document will be issued and sent. This payment is considered an “open payment” and is valid for 12 months. Please note that if you received an admission letter before August 2023 for a course shorter than 96 lesson hours, the payment is completely non-refundable.
8.3. Alfaskolen can never guarantee that a student will be granted a visa; Alfaskolen is thus not responsible for visa refusal or expiry. It is up to the applicant to research the possibilities and requirements regarding visa. This can be done at the local Norwegian Embassy / Consulate or at the Norwegian Immigration Department (www.udi.no). Alfaskolen only provides information about its school and courses and not about visa regulations and conditions.
8.4. If you need to change courses, Alfaskolen must be notified a minimum of 14 calendar days before the start date. Changes made 13 or less calendar days before the start day will be subject to the late changing fee, see rule 6.4.
8.5. Unless otherwise specified, your payment includes a 35% non-refundable cancelation fee. You will be refunded 65% of the course fee only in case your visa application is denied (a copy of the letter from UDI confirming that your visa was denied is required).
8.6. Alfaskolen has established a Student Deposit Account (from now on called SDA) for course applicants, who in order to apply for a visa/permit need to store a certain amount of money on a Norwegian bank account. The deposited amount is in Norwegian currency. The SDA is available only for applicants who have signed up for a minimum of 96 hours and need to apply for a visa/permit.
8.6.1. The full course fee and the deposit amount due to be paid to the SDA are two separate items: the course fee is not a part of the deposit amount.
8.6.2. Students are obliged to open a personal bank account in their name in a Norwegian bank within three months after arrival to Norway. Only after the student has presented official documentation from the bank that a new account has been established in the student’s name, Alfaskolen will transfer the full deposit amount from the SDA to the students own Norwegian personal bank account.
8.6.3. Other than rule 8.6, Alfaskolen does not allow any other transactions to be made on the SDA.
8.6.4. In case of refund, Alfaskolen will only transfer the full deposited amount from the SDA to the original bank account from which it was deposited. The applicant cannot claim the accrued interest on the course fee and deposit.
8.7. This clause applies exclusively to participants in the One-Year Program and takes precedence over all other terms. Applicants who require an official admission letter from Alfaskolen for visa or residence permit applications must complete registration and pay the full program fee. In order to be eligible for any refund, the applicant must provide a copy of the official rejection letter from UDI confirming that the visa or permit application has been denied. If the visa application is rejected and the withdrawal is submitted 15 calendar days or more before the course start date, 90% of the program fee will be refunded; 10% will be retained as an administrative fee. If the withdrawal is submitted within 14 calendar days before the course start date, 80% of the program fee will be refunded, and 20% will be retained.

9. Complaints & Privacy:

9.1. Alfaskolen Complaints Procedure: If you wish to make a complaint to Alfaskolen please send an email to info@alfaskolen.no. Please ensure that the email complaint includes:
a) Your name and contact details
b) A description of the complaint
c) A suggested solution
9.2. The complaint will be acknowledged within 2 working days (Monday to Friday). You can expect a substantive response within 5 working days and in accordance with the following Alfaskolen Complaints Policy.
9.3. Alfaskolen Complaints Policy: Alfaskolen considers complaints as a chance to put things right for the person that has made the complaint, as well as an opportunity to learn and improve for the future.
9.4. The aim of our policy is to:
– Provide a complaints procedure that is fair, clear, and easy to use.
– Publicize our complaints procedure so that people can contact us to make a complaint.
– Make sure all employees at Alfaskolen know what to do if a complaint is received.
– Make sure that all complaints are investigated fairly and in a timely manner.
– Make sure that complaints are, if possible, resolved and that relationships are repaired.
– Gather information that helps us to improve what we do.
9.5. Definition of a complaint: A complaint is any expression of dissatisfaction, whether justified or not, about any aspect of Alfaskolen and the services it provides.
9.6. Confidentiality: All complaint information will be handled sensitively, involving only those who need to know and follow any relevant data protection requirements.
9.7. Responding to complaints: All persons making a complaint will be treated with respect. Where possible, complaints will be resolved by agreement between the complainant and our staff.
9.8. Escalation of unresolved complaints: If the grievance cannot be resolved by agreement, Alfaskolen will inform complainants where, externally, they may take further action.
9.9. Responsibility: Overall responsibility for this policy and its implementation lies with the Inspector for Quality Assurance of Alfaskolen.
9.10. Information storage and deletion: Personal data will not be stored longer than necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Alfaskolen will delete all personal data 5 years after the participant has completed their last course, in accordance with the Norwegian Personal Data Act and applicable regulations.

*Last updated: May 2026