Financial Aid for Students

Degree students are exempt from tuition, but they have to pay the expenses for their own study materials. The majority of Finnish students are financially supported by the Finnish state. Foreign students are entitled to financial aid only with certain restrictions. For more information on financial aid for Finnish students see below. The studies of a foreign student are normally financially supported by the student's parents, or the student has been awarded a scholarship from his/her home country or from an international institution to cover the expenses and living costs in Finland. For more information on financial aid for foreign students see below. Oulu University of Applied Sciences is unfortunately not able to provide any financial support to its students.

Further information on students' financial aid is available from the following Web site: www.kela.fi (Financial Aid for Students)

Financial Aid for Finnish Students

Finnish students are entitled to financial aid, which is intended to provide an income to financially needy students whose parents are not under obligation to finance their studies and who are not eligible for aid under some other provisions. In order to qualify, a student must have gained admission to higher education, be studying full time, and be in need of financial assistance.

Financial aid is available in the form of study grants, housing supplements and government guarantees for student loans. The study grant and housing supplement are government-financed benefits with monthly payments to the student's bank. The study grant is subject to tax. Student loans are granted by banks operating in Finland. Repayment normally begins after the studies have ended. Because the loan is guaranteed by the state, no other security is required.

Finnish students can also get financial help with studies that take place outside Finland, provided that they correspond to Finnish studies that would be covered by the student financial aid provisions or alternatively form a part of a Finnish degree programme. A study grant, a housing supplement and a government guarantee for student loans are available for studies abroad.

Instructions for the Finnish students are also available in Finnish.

Financial Aid for Finnish Students Studying Abroad as an Exchange Student

Finnish students studying abroad as an exchange student are entitled to a study grant, if the studies completed abroad are included in their degree to be taken in Finland. The students have to complete 4,5 ECTS-credits on average per each month to receive the study grant.

The students can apply for housing supplement and government guarantees for student loans by filling in a special form "olosuhdemuutosilmoitus, form OTm". The form has to be delivered with an attachment of the certificate of studies performed abroad (studying country, exchange period and ECTS credits) and exchange programme. Information or estimated rent price has to be included in the form.

Grant for studies completed abroad (theoretical studies or practical training) awarded by Oulu University of Applied Sciences doesn't prevent awarding study grant, if the university of applied sciences accepts studies abroad as a part of a degree to be taken in Finland. In that case there is no significance whether the student is studying in framework of an exchange programme or a bilateral agreement and the scholarships do not need to be informed when applying for the study grant, because the grants awarded by the university of applied sciences are not paid attention to when the incomes are checked.

If the salary of the training period is at least 660 euros per month, the study grant for studies abroad cannot be awarded. The housing supplement and government guarantees for study loan can still be granted.

If studying abroad takes place in June, July or August and/or if the student completes studies abroad outside an exchange programme, the statement of exchange student's studies is needed by the Study Grants Board. In that case the form and the attachments have to be delivered to the Board.

Financial Aid for Foreign Students

Foreign students must provide evidence that they have sufficient funds for supporting their living and studying in Finland during their stay in the country. Foreign students (or a scholarship) must prove to the Finnish immigration officials that they have transferable funds of EUR 6,000 for each academic year (EUR 500/month).

If a foreign student would like to come to Finland as a degree student, he/she should ask the authorities of his/her home country for further information on grants by contacting e.g. the Ministry of Education or the National Agency for Education. A good source of information on grants is the Centre for International Mobility CIMO, Address: PL 343 (Hakaniemenkatu 2), 00531 HELSINKI, FINLAND, tel. +358 (0)1080 6767, e-mail cimoinfo@cimo.fi,, Internet www.cimo.fi.

Foreign citizens can get financial help with their studies from the Finnish state if they have had a valid residence permit and have lived in Finland for at least two years for some other purpose than to study, and their residence in Finland is considered to be permanent. Even if a foreign student has been in Finland for less than two years, he/she may qualify for student financial aid if he/she is, for example, a refugee or remigrant. Nationals of EU and EEA Member States can get help with studies that are closely related to their work or if they have become involuntarily unemployed. The family members of employees covered by the EEA Agreement can also get financial assistance with their studies in the same way as Finnish citizens.

Scholarships information for foreigners is also available on the Internet: finland.cimo.fi (Discover Finland, Studying).