Benefits for students in higher education
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If you are a full-time student in a higher education institution, you can get
You can also get meal subsidy, in other words, low-cost meals in most student restaurants.
There are different criteria you have to meet to get these benefits and different criteria also apply to the benefit amounts. Read more on the pages for the different benefits.
Your income affects the number of months per year for which you can get financial aid for students. You must make sure that you do not exceed your annual income limit.
You must also pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education twice a year. The healthcare fee gives you the right to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS). You must pay the fee even if you do not use the services.
Terminology made easy
Institutions of higher education comprise universities, universities of applied sciences, the National Defence University and the Police University College. You can get financial aid in the following situations:
- You are studying for a first-cycle degree or second-cycle degree in a university or a post-graduate degree in a scientific field or in the arts or an advanced vocational qualification.
- You are completing a first-cycle degree or second-cycle degree in a university of applied sciences.
- You are attending studies aimed at preparing immigrants for studies in universities of applied sciences.
- You attend a separate programme of continuing vocational education.
- You are completing a separate study module when you already have a higher education degree. You can get student financial aid for completing a separate study module if it adds to your professional competence or qualifies you for a civil service position. One example of such studies is pedagogical education, which is part of teacher training.
You usually cannot get student financial aid for open higher education studies (avoin korkeakoulu).
However, student financial aid may be available for open higher education studies in the following situations:
- You are enrolled in an institution of higher education to complete a degree and your open higher education studies count towards your degree.
- You attend a separate programme of continuing vocational education.
- You are completing a separate study module when you already have a higher education degree. You can get student financial aid for completing a separate study module if it adds to your professional competence or qualifies you for a civil service position. One example of such studies is pedagogical education, which is part of teacher training.
A study voucher for open higher education studies does not qualify you for student financial aid
You cannot get student financial aid if you qualify for a study voucher (opintoseteli) and use it for open higher education studies. You can get student financial aid for open higher education studies only in specific situations.
Read more about when you can get student financial aid for open higher education studies.
If you study towards a degree in higher education, your studies are full-time. However, you must earn a sufficient number of credits.
Other studies in higher education than studies leading to a degree are considered full-time, if their extent is a minimum of on average 5 credits per month of active study.
You cannot get financial aid in the following situations:
- You get financial aid from abroad or from the Åland Islands.
- You are in apprenticeship training or labour market training.
- You get earnings-related unemployment allowance (ansiopäiväraha) from an unemployment fund (työttömyyskassa) or general social security benefit (yleistuki) from Kela.
- You are paid a pension or a farm closure compensation/subsidy. However, it is possible to get both a survivors’ pension or a partial old-age pension along with financial aid, but the pension is considered as income for purposes of the.
- You are paid rehabilitation allowance from Kela.
- You are paid rehabilitation allowance under the earnings-related pensions acts for the same course of education.
- You are paid rehabilitation allowance on account of an accident at work or an occupational disease.
- You receive a full compensation for loss of income during a period of rehabilitation compensated on the grounds of an injury.
- You are in compulsory military or non-military service.
- You are serving a sentence of imprisonment and are studying while in prison.
- You are paid a sickness allowance, a partial sickness allowance or an allowance for organ donors.
Family benefits
You can be paid a pregnancy allowance, parental allowance or child care allowance at the same time as financial aid for students.
How your life situation affects the financial aid for students
The amount of the study grant is affected by the following factors:
- how old you are
- whether you live independently or with your parents
- whether you have a child under the age of 18.
If you live with your parents or if you are under 18 years of age, the study grant will be smaller. If your parents have small incomes, the study grant may be larger.
If you are the guardian of a child under the age of 18, you can get a provider supplement to the study grant.
The amount of the student loan is only affected by whether you study in higher education or upper secondary education, and whether you study in Finland or abroad. The amount of the housing supplement is affected by the municipality where you live and how much rent you pay for your housing. The amount of the housing supplement is also affected by whether the home is owned by your parent or you rent it from your parent.
Additional requirements apply if you are not a Finnish citizen.
Did you move to Finland from another country to study? Check if you qualify for student financial aid if you are not a Finnish citizen.
Try the calculator for student financial aid (in Finnish) to estimate how much student financial aid you can get.
If you become ill
If you fall ill and you cannot study, you can take sick leave. If your sick leave lasts more than 10 working days and you are at least 18 years old, you can get sickness allowance.
Read more about illness during your studies.
After graduation
If you take out a student loan during your studies and you complete your degree within the target time, you may have the right to a student loan compensation. It means that Kela pays back part of your student loan. Please keep this in mind when you are planning your studies.
Read more about the student loan compensation and the target times for graduation.
If you have a small income, you may get interest assistance for student loan. This means that Kela will pay the full amount of interest on your student loan on your behalf.
Read more about interest assistance and income limits.
What else is goig on in your life?
Do you need support with achieving your goals?
If your daily life feels challenging and you need support with your studies, you might benefit from rehabilitation. What kind of rehabilitation can you get?
Are you unable to study due to illness or issues with your mental health?
If your daily life is a struggle due to illness or issues with your mental health, you can get help. Find out what kind of rehabilitation and financial assistance you can get.