Funding the studies

Foreign students - apart from students from the Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Iceland) - must support themselves while studying in Finland. The Finnish government does not fund the stay of foreign students in Finland, nor cover the medical care expenses of the students from non-EU country. Therefore non-EU students have to take out a health insurance to cover themselves against possible medical care during their studies. 

Non-citizens of Finland can get financial aid for their studies in Finland from Kela (= the Social Insurance Institution of Finland), if they live in Finland on a permanent basis for a purpose other than studying. This requires that they are registered as a permanent resident in the Finnish population register system. Furthermore they have to be full-time university students aiming at getting a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.

Students can join the UAS Student Union KETOAKKU and purchase the Student Card of SAMOK - the National Union of Finnish Polytechnics. There are various kinds of national and local benefits and discounts connected to the card. National discounts are allowed e.g. on travelling, books, study material, insurances, magazines, glasses, jewellery. Local shops allow discounts e.g. on clothes, shoes, sports equipment, electronics and hairdressing.

Kemi-Tornio University of Applied Sciences doesn’t award any grants or scholarships to students.

Student financial aid from Kela

The student financial aid from Kela is intended to provide an income to financially needy students whose parents are not under obligation to finance their studies. The financial aid comprises of study grant, housing supplement and government guarantees for student loans. The housing supplement can be paid to students who are living in a rented, right of residence or right of purchase flat during their study months. If a student applies for a student loan from a Finnish bank, he/she can apply to get a government guarantee for it from Kela, whereupon other guarantors will not be needed. Interest, repayment and other semesters and conditions applying to the loan are however always agreed between the bank and the student. Specific information on the student financial aid can be seen on the Kela website.

Students who begin their university studies during the academic year 2005 - 2006 or later are also eligible for a student loan tax deduction in Finland, if they complete their studies within the usual time frame and they have raised a sufficient amount of student loan.

Meal subsidy

Although students who come to Finland solely for studying purposes cannot get Finnish student financial aid, they benefit provided by Kela: Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students can eat at a lower price due to the meal subsidy Kela pays to the student restaurants at schools.

Adult education subsidy

Adult students who live in Finland on a permanent basis for a purpose other than studying can apply for adult education subsidy from the Education Fund for specialized studies or studies leading to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree. The subsidy is available to

  1. applicants who have had employment with the same employer or have employed themselves for at least one year in one or more periods of time.
  2. applicants who are on an unpaid leave of absence to study for at least two months.
  3. applicants who have had a work history of at least five years before starting the leave of absence to study.

Specific information on the adult education subsidy can be found on the website of the Education Fund (only in Finnish and Swedish) or you can call tel. (09) 680 3730.