The student is legally liable to pay tuition fees at the University of Helsinki:
1) If he/she is not a citizen of a European Union/European Economic Area country or Switzerland OR does not have permanent residence status in Finland:
;and
2) If the degree programme is taught in English; and
3) If the study right for the degree was awarded in 2017 or later; and
4) If the degree programme leads to a master’s or bachelor’s level degree.
Find more information on citizenship and residence permits.
Students are themselves responsible for demonstrating that they are not liable to pay tuition fees. See instructions on required application enclosures for master’s programmes.
Documents stating that a student is not liable to pay tuition fees must be valid when the semester starts on 1 August 2023. If your document is valid e.g. until October 2023, you are not liable to pay the tuition fee for the fall term. If your document is valid e.g. until March 2023, you are not liable to pay the fee for the spring term either.
If you have received a document exempting you from paying the tuition fees after you have submitted an application for admission, you can submit a copy of this document (residence permit, passport) to masterenclosures@helsinki.fi. Please note that if you are already a student at the University of Helsinki you can submit the copy to tuitionfees@helsinki.fi
If you have dual citizenship (EU/EEA and non-EU/EEA) you are not liable to pay tuition fees. When you have submitted your application and you are sending the required educational documents, please attach a copy of your passport indicating your EU citizenship. Please also fill your EU/EEA citizenship when submitting the application. Dual EU/EEA and non EU/EEA citizens cannot apply for a University of Helsinki scholarship as they are not liable to pay tuition fees.
The liability to pay tuition fees depends on citizenship, not the origin of your previous degree. Please visit studyinfo.fi for more information.
Please check the latest information on the effects of coronavirus from Instructions for Students.
Students from the United Kingdom are not liable to pay tuition fees as long as they have ‘Brexit permit’ from Migri in accordance with the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Please submit a Residence permit card with the EU right of residence to prove your exemption. For More information, please visit Migri's pages. Without the ‘Brexit Permit’, students from UK are liable to pay tuition fees.The full tuition fee liability also opens the possibility to apply for University of Helsinki scholarships. Please also remember that normal rules of tuition fee liability and possible exemptions apply to students without the 'Brexit permit'.
If you have any questions regarding Brexit and tuition fees, please send a message to tuitionfees@helsinki.fi.
At the University of Helsinki, the tuition fee is 13, 000, 15 000 or 18 000 euros per academic year, depending on the academic field of the degree programme. More detailed information on the amount of the fees can be found on Degree Finder.
No, the annual tuition fee is fixed in the year of entry.
Applicants receive information on the results of their application for a study place and scholarship in the middle of April at the latest. Instructions on how to pay the tuition fee will be sent to you right after you have been admitted to a degree programme.
The deadline for tuition fee payment is 31 August 2023. If you are applying for a residence permit, but have not yet paid the tuition fee, please make sure you have sufficient funds to cover the tuition fee and living expenses in Finland according to the Finnish Migration Services instructions: https://migri.fi/en/residence-permit-application-for-studies.
Please remember to start the process for obtaining a residence permit as soon as possible.
The tuition fee is paid by using an invoice. The payment can be completed by the applicant herself/himself or by a third-party by using the given reference number.
The tuition fee must be paid as a single instalment for the following academic year.
If you don’t pay the required tuition fee, you are not able to begin your studies at the University. Admitted applicants or students cannot register as attending before they have paid their tuition fee. Only attending students can attend classes and complete studies.
You can register as non-attending only in situations specified in section 39 of the Universities Act,
if you are:
The tuition fee applies to non-EU/EEA students who have not registered as attending before autumn semester 2017. If you have not completed any credits during the academic year 2016-2017, but are registered as an “attending student”, you are exempted from the tuition fee.
Yes, there are no limitations on the number of credits a student may complete while he/she is registered as an “attending” student. Just make sure that you take all the compulsory courses for the degree programme. In addition, in most faculties, you may include these extra courses in your degree as optional studies or selective studies.
You are entitled to complete the master’s degree within the target duration plus two additional years. If you fail to graduate within two years of study, you can register as attending for the following autumn term, in which case you must pay half of the tuition fee. The fee will be charged by term until you have completed the degree.
Besides tuition fees, make sure that you have sufficient financial means for your living costs such as rent, personal expenses, transportation costs, meals, insurance, etc. Please also remember that an income requirement by the Finnish Immigration Service may apply to you.
The tuition fee includes the compulsory Student Union (HYY) membership. HYY provides substantial benefits and services, advocacy work and events throughout the year. As a Student Union (HYY) member, you are entitled to a significant student meal discount in Unicafe student restaurants and reductions on public transport.
Please note that you need to pay Finnish Student Health Service fee directly to Kela according to their instructions. (From fall semester 2023 onwards.)
Please remember to check that you have valid health insurance since the FSHS only provides basic healthcare services and does not, for example, perform extensive medical operations nor does it have its own accident and emergency service.
The University of Helsinki has a housing quota especially for tuition fee-liable international degree students moving to Finland.
The tuition fee includes teaching and access to the newest learning facilities. The services provided to students by the University are free. You have access to the library, Student Services, Career Services and Exchange Services and other kinds of support for your studies.
The tuition fee will be reimbursed if:
Tuition fees are reimbursed per academic year or academic term. Please see the instructions for students for more information about reimbursements during your studies.
Changes to residence or citizenship status during studies will be considered as follows:
1) If the change of status means that you are no longer liable to pay tuition fees, any fees covering the time after the change will be reimbursed as of the following term.
2) If your status changes so that you become liable to pay tuition fees, the liability will begin as of the following term.
3) If you have received a Scholarship from the University of Helsinki Scholarship programme and your status changes so that you are no longer tuition fee-liable student, you are no longer eligible for the scholarship, as the Scholarship programme is only for tuition fee-liable students.
You must inform the University about any changes to your residence or citizenship status.
Changes to the liability to pay tuition fees will come into effect as of the beginning of the term following the change of status. In cases of such a change, the tuition fee will be divided into two terms so that one term equals half the tuition fee.
Your residence or citizenship status may change for example if you get married to a Finnish citizen and have a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen in Finland. For more information, please visit Studyinfo.
If you expect that your residence permit status is about to change and if you are not sure how this would effect your liability to pay the tuition fees, please contact admission services.
Please apply for the extension of your residence permit as soon as possible as it may take several months to receive the extended permit. The permit must be valid on 1 August 2023 in order to exempt your from paying the tuition fee.
The war in Ukraine may cause severe difficulties to pay the tuition fee by the given and in special case admitted applicant may apply for special arrangements for the tuition fee payment. For more information, please visit: https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/war-ukraine
The scholarships are awarded to the best students on the grounds of academic overall assessment according to the general master’s degree entrance requirements, academic excellence and success in previous studies and motivation to study in a master’s programme at the University of Helsinki.
No, the scholarships are for students from outside the EU/EEA who pay tuition fees. Please check other available scholarship options.
Every scholarship applicant receives information on the scholarship together with the letter of acceptance.
Limited number of Scholarships can be offered and the scholarship programme is very competitive. As the number of offered scholarships is limited, it is highly recommended to start looking for other available funding options as soon as possible. The number of scholarships available depends on the academic level and on the number of admitted fees-liable students.
The scholarships are granted for two years. However, in order to receive the grant for the second year, you are required to complete at least 55 credits in your first study year.
The exact amount of the scholarship depends on the amount of tuition fees charged by the master’s programme. The tuition fees range from 13 000–18 000 euros. Scholarships are awarded for two years.
Each degree programme may award scholarships covering either 50% or 100 % of the tuition fee.
Tuition fees range from 13 000 to 18 000 euros.
Duration of the scholarship is two years. For all scholarships, students are required to study full time (earn at least 55 ECTS per year) to fulfil the requirements of the scholarship. After the first study year, the progress of your studies will be checked and, depending on your progress, the scholarship will be continued.
As part of the national Finland Scholarship programme University of Helsinki awards Finland Scholarships. You may apply for this scholarship when applying for our international master’s degree programmes.
Finland scholarships covers 100% tuition fee and also includes a 5000 € relocation grant. The scholarship and the 5000 EUR will be renewed for the second year of your studies in case you complete at least 55 credits during your first study year. University of Helsinki may award up to one Finland scholarship for a newly admitted student of each master’s degree programme.
For additional information, please visit the scholarships programme webpage.
Applying is very easy: The online application form for master’s degrees includes questions related to the scholarships. Your answers to these questions will be considered your scholarship application. You can only submit your scholarship application through the online application form at the same time as you apply for the degree programme.
The possible scholarship-related documents should be delivered with the other enclosed documents of your degree application. More information about the application and selection process.
Yes, students who are in their last term or semester of their bachelor’s studies can also apply. You may be granted admission to a programme on the condition that you submit the final degree certificate and transcript to the Admission Services after graduation. If the degree serving as grounds of application to the programme is still incomplete, you need not submit a degree certificate/diploma with the application documents. If you are admitted, the admission decision will be conditional, and you will receive instructions with your letter of admission for submitting the official degree certificate/diploma. NB! The final degree certificate/diploma must be presented by the given deadline.
Regrettably, it is not possible to reapply for a scholarship from the University of Helsinki scholarship programme. The scholarship process is tied to the admission process to the Master’s degree programmes and the scholarship decisions are made by comparing with students from the same admission batch.
How can I find other scholarship options?
There are also various other scholarship options available from different sources. For example, you can find information on possible scholarship options on ScholarshipPortal.
The University of Helsinki also offers its degree students access to funding databases to facilitate the search for grants and scholarships relevant to their studies or research. It is only possible to apply for these scholarships when you are already an attending degree student at the University of Helsinki.
There are also other scholarship possibilities for all degree students of the University of Helsinki.
Yes, you can apply for a Dean’s award (1.000 EUR). It’s awarded for second and third year students on the basis of previous academic year's study performance.
These scholarships are only available for those students who pay tuition fees. As doctoral level education is free of charge for all, doctoral level students cannot apply for the scholarship.
There is no age limit for the scholarships.
If your liability to pay tuition fees changes, you also lose the right to the scholarship. Other reasons for losing the right to the scholarship include, for example, providing false information in the scholarship application or cheating during your studies.
In case you have received a 100% tuition fee waiver or Finland Scholarship, you don't have to register yourself as attending student. The scholarship includes the student Union membership fee and therefore you will be automatically registered as attending student. You will be registered as attending student after you have accepted your study place (and proven your eligibility) and accepted the scholarship offer. After your study right has been updated to study register, you will receive an e-mail including instructions on how to activate your University of Helsinki's user account. Please be patient as this may take some time.
The relocation grant will be paid to you once you have arrived in Finland and have obtained a Finnish bank account. Obtaining a bank account may take several weeks and therefore the grant is usually paid in October-November.
Yes, in case you have graduated from your Bacelor’s degree In Science by the target duration of your degree with a required GPA, you will be awarded a tuition fee scholarships for your master’s degree. With minimum GPA 3,8/5 you qualify for 100 % tuition fee scholarship and with 3,4-3,7/5 you qualify for 50 % tuition fee scholarship. Scholarship covers also the second study year of your Master's degree in case you have completed at least 55 credits during first academic year.