Whistleblowers are raising the alarm about low tuition fees in state-funded YH training courses

The authority of the technical college awards state subsidies amounting to several billion crowns for program training and another several hundred million crowns for short courses within the technical college. Although the activity is financed by taxes, there are no quantitative specifications as to how comprehensive the teacher-led lessons should be.

The agency’s evaluation manual for program training states that teacher-led time must be identified in the training plan, but there is “no verification of this.” In practice, this means that training can be funded by the state even if teacher-led instruction is very limited overall.

Whistleblowers and people with many years of experience at the university of applied sciences, who wishes to remain anonymous, Dagens Nyheter explains that systems with low teaching hours are used systematically, especially in distance learning, where lessons can be extended to large groups of students.

“This is not about individual varieties, but about a business model,” says an insider with many years of experience at the university of applied sciences.

According to the law, the university of applied sciences should be clearly controlled by the labor market and play a central role in Sweden’s supply of skilled workers.

– If the state pays billions without even checking how much instruction is offered, it is shirking its fundamental responsibility for quality, says a whistleblower.

The university of applied sciences supervisory authority from autumn 2025, which included a targeted sample, shows that almost half of the training courses examined had deficiencies in the LIA, learning on the job, the workplace-related part of the training.

The authority for the technical college General Director Magnus Wallerå rejects the idea that the university of applied sciences is failing with its vocational training programs. He describes teacher-directed time as a clear measure and says the agency instead focuses on whether training leads to jobs and whether students are provided with sufficient conditions to achieve educational goals. At the same time, Magnus Wallerå admits that in some cases the bar was set too low.

– There is no place for low-quality training at a technical college. “We have seen deficiencies and that is why we are now tightening the requirements,” says Magnus Wallerå.

Starting with the next round of applications, the university of applied sciences authority will be confronted with a new requirement that study programs must report the level of interaction between students and instructors. The aim is to provide access to education that is based in practice on self-study.

“Training courses that only offer two hours of teacher-led lessons per week will not be accepted in the future,” says Magnus Wallerå.

The economic impact is important for several educational companies. The media institute in Sweden, which is part of the Elevera Education Group, has been reporting profit margins of over 40 percent for several years. At the same time, large amounts were distributed to shareholders.

Linda Sahin, CEO of Elevera Education Group, sees this as proof that the company has built a good business model.

– We are very efficient and have great respect for resources. We have invested a lot in digitalization, sit in very smart rooms and think about how we use our resources.

Aren’t profit margins of 40 percent a signal that you’re getting too much money from the state?

– You could see it that way too. “We are proof that this can be done effectively,” says Linda Sahin.

Other big players work similarly. Hermods, which is also part of the education group Academedia, has approved identical distance learning programs in several cities, although the content and layout are the same. According to critics, this makes it possible to receive multiple grants for virtually the same training.

Director of Education at Academedia Anette Wahlgren defends distance learning and believes that low teacher density does not necessarily mean low quality.

– Learning is not about how many hours a teacher stands and lectures. “It’s about interaction and about students having forty hours a week to engage with their learning material together with teachers, fellow students and working life,” says Anette Wahlgren.

Education group Academedia says the group does not have a set minimum level of teacher-led time, but that distance learning typically includes at least four teacher-led hours per week.

“Our follow-up shows that the majority of students achieve their graduation goals and that employers are satisfied with the skills,” says Anette Wahlgren.

What percentage of your FH degree programs get a Lia place?

– We haven’t measured exactly how many people don’t approach Lia and why. The benchmark we have is the graduation rate, which is around 69 percent. Getting a degree usually involves doing Lia, says Anette Wahlgren.

Read more:

The vocational college was granted millions – false information was provided

Shorter study times and good career prospects – more Swedes are choosing vocational training

Government is investing billions in technical colleges: “More people should be able to study in 2021”