Understanding letters from CSN
Who sends these letters
CSN (Centrala studiestödsnämnden), the Swedish Board of Student Finance, pays student finance and collects student loans. Studiemedel is made up of a grant (studiebidrag) and a loan (studielån), and adults can get it for studies such as Komvux and university, and in some cases SFI. CSN's letters are decisions about payments, checks of your income, claims to pay money back, and yearly repayment notices.
Deadlines and your right to challenge a decision
You can ask CSN to look at a decision again (omprövning), or appeal it. An appeal must reach CSN within three weeks of the day you received the decision. CSN reviews it first and then sends it on: decisions on student finance go to the Board of Appeal for Student Aid (Överklagandenämnden för studiestöd, ÖKS), while decisions on repayment go to the administrative court.
Checked on 2026-10-07 against: Ompröva eller överklaga CSN:s beslut, Inkomst och fribelopp, Betala tillbaka studielån, Appealing a decision (English). Rules change: the official website and your letter always win.
These pages explain the Swedish words in official letters. They don't replace the letter itself or advice about your case. Always check the deadline printed on your letter, and contact the agency (their phone number and your case officer are usually at the bottom of the letter) if anything is unclear. Lingolib is not connected to any of the agencies named here. Facts were last checked on 2026-10-07.
Example letters, word by word
These letters were written by us to show the style and the typical phrases. The names, amounts and dates are made up; real letters look different from agency to agency and year to year. Tap a word to see what it means.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: a decision on student finance.
17 2026–17 2027.
You get student finance for full-time studies at Komvux for this period.
. .
You get both the grant and the loan; the amounts are on your logged-in pages.
. .
Don't earn more than the income limit, or you may have to repay some of it.
.
Tell CSN at once if you change pace or stop studying.
.
You can ask for a review or appeal.
.
An appeal must reach CSN within three weeks of receiving the decision.
Tap any word for its meaning. Underlined words are key terms with an explanation.
Heading: a decision that you must pay back student finance.
2024 .
They checked your 2024 income against your final tax decision.
2024 .
Your income from July to December 2024 was over the limit.
6 200 .
So you must pay back 6,200 kronor.
6 2026. .
Pay by 6 November 2026; the payment slip is enclosed.
, .
If you can't pay on time, contact CSN before the due date.
. .
You can appeal within three weeks of receiving the decision.
28 key words in letters from CSN
The words specific to these letters first, then the general ones every agency uses.
- studiemedelstudent finance
- The money CSN pays while you study: a grant plus a loan. You choose whether to take the loan.
- studiebidragstudy grant
- The part of student finance you don't pay back, as long as you meet the rules.
- studielånstudent loan
- The part you pay back, with interest, after your studies.
- tilläggslånsupplementary loan
- An extra loan for some people who worked before they started studying.
- tilläggsbidragsupplementary grant
- An extra grant for students with children.
- fribeloppincome limit
- How much you may earn per calendar half-year while getting student finance. Earn more and your student finance is reduced, and you may have to pay some back.
- kalenderhalvårcalendar half-year
- January–June or July–December. CSN's income limit is counted per half-year.
- återkravrepayment claim
- A decision that you must pay back student finance, for example because your income was over the limit or you stopped studying. It usually has to be paid within 30 days.
- återbetalningrepayment
- Paying back your student loan. It starts some months after your last payment from CSN.
- årsbeloppyearly repayment amount
- How much you must pay back on your loan this year, usually split into monthly or quarterly payments.
- nedsättningreduction (of repayments)
- Paying less than the yearly amount for a period, for example on a low income. You must apply.
- studietaktstudy pace
- Full time (heltid, 100 %) or part time (deltid, for example 50 %). Tell CSN if it changes.
- heltidfull time
- Studying 100 %. Student finance is highest at this pace.
- deltidpart time
- Studying less than full time. Student finance is lower.
- avbryta studiernastop studying
- If you stop or take a break, tell CSN at once. Otherwise you may be paid money you have to return.
- studieresultatstudy results
- The credits or grades you achieve. CSN checks them before paying more student finance.
- Överklagandenämnden för studiestödBoard of Appeal for Student Aid (ÖKS)
- Hears appeals against CSN's decisions on student finance. Repayment appeals go to the administrative court instead.
- inbetalningsavipayment slip
- A notice with the amount, the account and the OCR reference to pay with.
- påminnelseavgiftreminder fee
- A fee added when you pay late. Pay before the due date to avoid it.
- räntainterest
- The cost of borrowing. Interest on student loans is set each year.
Words every agency uses
- beslutdecision
- The formal answer to your case. A beslut is legally binding until it is changed. Read the date on it: most time limits for challenging it start from the day you received it.
- omprövningreview (of a decision)
- A new look at a decision by the same agency, usually by a different officer.
- överklagaappeal
- To ask a court or higher body to change a decision. The letter must tell you how and by when. Missing the deadline usually means you lose the right to appeal.
- Mina sidorMy pages (your account)
- Your personal logged-in pages on an agency's website, where you see letters, decisions and messages. Migrationsverket calls it Min sida.
- senastat the latest, no later than
- Marks a deadline: senast 15 november means 15 November is the last day. It must usually have arrived by then, not just been posted.
- förfallodagdue date
- The last day to pay. Pay a day or two early if your bank needs time.
- uppgifterinformation, details
- Facts about you: income, address, family. Lämna uppgifter means to provide information. Felaktiga uppgifter are incorrect details.
- förvaltningsrättenthe administrative court
- The court that hears appeals against most decisions by agencies and the kommun. You usually send the appeal to the agency, which passes it on.
What to do next
- Find the date and the deadline. Look for senast, inom and förfallodag. Write the deadline in your calendar.
- Find who to contact. The handläggare and a phone number are usually at the end. You can ask them to explain the letter in simpler Swedish or English, and to book an interpreter.
- Answer in writing when it matters. Our email templates include a polite Swedish message asking an agency to explain a letter.
- Look up other words in the all-agency glossary or the Swedish dictionary.
Letters from other agencies
Reading letters like these gets easier fast once the everyday words are automatic. Season 1 of our course is free in full, and the guide to the language you need when moving to Sweden covers the basics.