How do I know if DTS is right for me?

Do you want to...

• grow in your relationship with God?
• become grounded in his word?
• invest in a solid foundation for your life?
• make God known?
• experience life in focused, intentional Christian community?

If the answer to any of these questions is “yes” or even if you wish that “yes” could be your honest answer—DTS is likely to be the right place for you!

How do I know if DTS is not right for me?

Do you want to do a DTS because you want a “spiritual vacation”? Are you unwilling to do hard things? Is being saved the only thing you want from your life with God? Do you dislike outdoor activities? If your answer to any of these questions is “yes” a DTS or Borgen’s DTS (in the case of the last question), might not be what you are looking for, and isn’t what we are offering here at YWAM Borgen.

How much does the school cost?

63,000 NOK. Note: Google “63000 NOK in USD” or “63000 NOK in (your country’s currency abbreviation)” for current exchange rates. The Worship Music Track (WMT) has an additional cost of 2,500 NOK.

What does the school cost cover?

The listed school cost covers room and board starting with the kick-off dinner to the last day of school. The price also includes all school-related travel expenses and all school-related activities. The price does not include Christmas break or possible vaccines or visas that may or may not be needed for outreach. If you would like to have some money saved up for extracurricular activities outside the DTS (like dog sledding for example!) we’ll leave that up to you.

By when do I need to pay for DTS?

40,000 NOK is due by October 25^th and the total of 63,000 NOK is due by December 12^th. Any other outstanding debt is due before March 12^th. The DTS can be paid all at once or in multiple installments that fit within the deadlines mentioned above.

How should I pay for DTS?

We recommend using www.wise.com for international transfers.

Are there any discounts for the DTS?

YWAM Borgen offers the possibility of a tuition discount to DTS students who are from developing nations (B or C nations), as listed on the UofN website. This discount is subject to availability and given at the discretion of school and base leadership. Once you have been accepted to a Borgen DTS (or other course), you can apply for the discount here.

How much does it cost to stay at the base during Christmas break?

Staying at Borgen costs 80 NOK/night for students regardless of whether it is during Christmas break or other times. Because the base kitchen is usually closed during Christmas break, students will have to purchase their own food and cook their own meals. There is a kitchen available for such purposes.

Is Borgen the name of a town?

Borgen isn't the name of a town, it’s the name of our base! Not to be confused with the city of Bergen (which has happened!).

Where is Borgen?

Borgen’s address is Larsvollen 6, Oteren 9046, Norway. We are situated nearest to the town of Hatteng in northern Norway, over 300 km past the Arctic Circle. We are about 1 hour away from Finland and just a little farther than that from Sweden. We are 1.5 hours away from Tromsø, our nearest full-size city. Finally, lest we forget, we are 10 hours from the Russian border.

What does Borgen look like?

Get a photo tour of our base and area here!

What can I find within walking distance from Borgen?

Primarily, lots of beautiful hikes and nature! Borgen is within walking distance of many beautiful mountains, valleys, and a fjord. We are also a 15 min. (1.3 km) walk from a grocery store, restaurant, and library.

Are busses and/or other transportation available?

Yes, there is a bus stop across the street from Borgen. There is a weekday morning bus straight to Tromsø. On the weekends you would take the bus from Nordkjosbotn (20 minutes' drive from Borgen). There is usually someone who is willing to drive to the bus if asked ahead of time. Timetables and other information are available here.

Who needs a visa for the DTS?

If you are a citizen of the European Union (EU) or a country within the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to work, study, or even just travel in Norway. Anybody else will need to apply for a visa. You can find a list of EU/EEA countries here.

What visa do non-EU/EEA/Swiss need?

The name of the visa is “Employee of a humanitarian, non-profit or religious organization”. Even though you are a student, you are registered as a volunteer when attending DTS because (1) you will be involved in volunteer work and (2) DTS’s are not classified as schools that can receive people with student visas in Norway. For Norwegian government purposes and terminology, DTS’s are a course, not a school.

How do I apply for this visa?

We will send you all necessary documents and information for applying once you are accepted to the DTS. We will also guide you through the application process.

How long does it take for the visa to be processed?

UDI (Norwegian Immigration) gives itself 3 months to process an application. This doesn’t mean it will take 3 months, but it does mean that it shouldn’t take more than 3 months. Regardless, we encourage our applicants that need visas to apply for them as soon as possible.

How much does the visa cost?

The visa application fee is 6300 NOK. You also have to travel to an office where you can submit your application in person. These offices are often located in Norwegian embassies, consulates, and visa-processing agencies. In the USA there are locations in San Francisco, Houston, Chicago, Washington DC, and New York City.

What happens if my visa is not processed in time?

Those who have registered and submitted a visa application, but not yet received a decision, may request for the application fee to be refunded and the application withdrawn. Please communicate with the Norwegian Consulate in New York for matters regarding refunds of application fees.

Where do students live during DTS?

Students live on base in a dorm building.

Can students live outside the base during DTS?

The short answer is no. There may be some special situations for which we may decide to make an exception. The leadership team will determine this on a case-by-case basis.

Can I have a job during DTS?

DTS is a more-than-full-time program. This means it will not be possible to do almost any work on the side (or even non-work activities that require serious time commitments). And, even if it might be possible, it is strongly discouraged because a large part of the benefit of DTS is being able to focus on one thing and being fully engaged in the life of the community.

What do the base and rooms look like?

Borgen is a beautiful place, you can see some of the scenery here and check out pictures of the base, including living and learning spaces, here!

What is lecture phase?

DTS’s are divided into two parts—lecture phase and outreach. Lecture phase is centered around our times of teaching. Whereas outreach is centered around reaching out and blessing others.

In what ways is a DTS like “normal” school?

In many good ways! A DTS is a learning environment in which students attend teaching, have required readings, book reports, as well as other “assignments”. However, unlike many learning environments you may have experienced, DTS differs in that the goal of the lectures is not only gaining knowledge, but positive life-change and Christlikeness.

What are some typical teaching weeks?

Typical teaching topics include: evangelism, Holy Spirit, missions, evangelism, worldview, the Bible, identity, relationships, hearing God’s voice, and the father heart of God.

What does a typical lecture phase schedule look like?

Click here to see an example from a past school at Borgen.

When is Christmas Break?

Our DTS typically has about two weeks off for Christmas Break. During this time, the students may choose what they would like to do whether it be go home or stay at Borgen. This year Christmas Break is from December 12th - December 27th.

What do DTS’s do on outreach?

DTS’s do all sorts of things on outreach and no two outreaches are the same. However, there are some important elements all outreaches should have. The number one ministerial focus of a DTS outreach should be evangelism. This doesn’t mean practical work, for example, cannot or should not take place, it simply means DTS outreach teams should spend a large portion of their time reaching out to nonbelievers in ways that will enable them to share the Gospel in an effective, Biblical, and culturally appropriate manner.

Where will outreach be?

DTS outreaches should be cross-cultural experiences. This usually means that outreach teams leave the country in which they completed lecture phase and travel to a different country to experience and engage in cross-cultural missions. Outreach locations differ at Borgen, although there have been some places the DTS has poured into repeatedly over the years. Some of these places include Bulgaria, Russia, Greece, and two newer locations — Ecuador and Italy. Having said this, for the time being, Borgen doesn’t pre-determine outreach locations. We engage in a process of prayerful consideration of where God might be leading us and come to a decision around half way through lecture phase.