Financing of studies

You should make sure that you make arrangements for adequate funding for your entire period of study before leaving your home country.

You cannot count on financing your studies in Finland by working while you study. Finding temporary work or a part-time job is difficult; especially if you do not have a sufficient knowledge of Finnish or Swedish.

There are also a very limited number of scholarships or grants offered to international applicants.

Exchange students

As a rule, exchange students (i.e. students who register for a limited period of studies through a certain exchange programme as well as through a bilateral or multilateral agreement) are awarded a grant on the basis of that programme or agreement. Erasmus and Nordplus grants are always awarded to students in their home country. Please contact the International Affairs or equivalent at your home institution or your own department for more information on grants and other benefits they may be offering.

Visiting students

Visiting students, who come to study at the University outside the exchange programmes or without any institutional or departmental agreements between their home institution and the University of Helsinki, have to finance their studies themselves.

Degree students

International degree students must arrange funding themselves. Look for the possibilities at home. Is there a student financial aid system in your country? What about grants and scholarships for studying abroad?

International Student Grant

The University of Helsinki offers some start-up grants for students accepted to study in an International Master's Programme. For more information see International Student Grant

University of Helsinki Funds

Students already studying at the University of Helsinki can apply for e.g. the scholarships offered by the University of Helsinki Funds. More information is available at the UH Funds website.

Non-university grants and scholarships

CIMO scholarships

The Finnish Centre for International Mobility (CIMO) offers scholarships for visitors to Finland from abroad, primarily for postgraduate (PhD) studies and research.

Read more on CIMO's website, Studying in Finland: the tuition and scholarships section.

Other grants and scholarships

Most grant and scholarship programmes, offered by various foundations and scientific or other organisations in Finland are also open to international students and researchers enrolled at the University of Helsinki.

The University Helsinki offers its degree students two academic funding databases to facilitate the search for grants and scholarships suiting their lines of study or research themes.

You can access the funding databases through the University of Helsinki intranet, which you can access after receiving the user-ID for the university's computer network.

Finnish state financial aid for studies

In some cases, international degree students may obtain a state grant by the Finnish Social Security Institution. You may receive student financial aid for your studies only if your residence in Finland can be considered permanent (residence code A or P) and your residence is based on some other status than that of a student. Immigrants returning to Finland and refugees are exempted from this regulation.

Read more about the student financial aid on the Finnish Social Security Institution (KELA) website.

Residence-based social security

Students, who have come to Finland only for studies, are usually considered to be here only temporarily and are thus generally not covered by the residence-based social security system. However, there are some exceptions to the rule.

More detailed information regarding residence-based social security is available at the Finnish Social Security Institution (KELA) website.

For more information you can also visit the In To service point in Kamppi. In To is the service point of the Social Institution of Finland (Kela) and the Finnish Tax Administration. For contact information and opening hours please see the In To website.