Registration and study fees

The studies are provided by the University of Helsinki. The University of Helsinki reserves the right to change any information on the course pages.

Please select below the registration instructions suited to your situation:

Registration for students of the Open University

• Start registration on the course page by clicking on the registration button on the page. The button is only visible when registration for the course is ongoing. Follow the instructions provided by the registration system.
• Pay the course fee online when registering or using an open university gift voucher. The payment of the course fee confirms your registration.
• Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an automatic confirmation email and instructions for activating your user account at the University of Helsinki.

Registration for degree students of the University of Helsinki

• Start registration in Sisu: First add the course to your study plan if it is not yet there. Select the appropriate completion method and open university course. Finally, Sisu will direct you to complete the registration through the Open University course page (the ‘Go to enrolment’ button in Sisu). 
• Log in to the registration system using your University of Helsinki user credentials. A pre-completed registration form will open. Check your information and complete or edit it if necessary. 
• Attending University of Helsinki degree students may register for some open university courses free of charge. If the course is subject to a fee, pay the course fee online. Information on whether the course is free or subject to a fee can be found on the course page.
• If you wish to raise a grade for a course already completed on the basis of a course organised as open university instruction, you must always pay the relevant course fee. In this case, contact the admissions and student advice staff of the Open University at avoin-student@helsinki.fi.
• You will receive an automatic confirmation email of your registration.

Registration for MOOC courses

• In most cases, you do not have to register in advance for MOOC (massive open online course) courses –  the studies commence simply by registering in the online learning environment. Everyone interested in the course can be accommodated. The necessary instructions and a link to the learning environment can be found on the MOOC’s course page.
• If you wish to have the completed MOOC entered in the student information system of the University of Helsinki, you can register for the course and, when needed, pay the course fee after you have completed the course (see section Course fees and terms of payment).

Registration to studies organised at University of Helsinki’s partner institutions

• If a course is organised by a partner institution of the University of Helsinki, please register for the course following the partner institution’s instructions.
• After doing so, also register as a student at the Open University. The partner institution will provide you with instructions on how to do this.

• Registration gives you the right to study at the University of Helsinki’s Open University. The right to study refers to the time during which you can complete your studies. 
• Its duration is determined by the study schedule stated on the relevant course page. The period includes teaching, examinations and/or other modes of completion. 
• In connection with your registration, you will also receive user credentials for the University of Helsinki information systems. The credentials will not be sent to you separately, but rather you will gain access to them by activating your user account well before your studies are due to begin. User credentials are not granted for MOOC courses.
• More information on user credentials and activating your account is available on the Instructions for Students website: University of Helsinki user account.

• The Open University course fee is €15-45 per credit. Pay the course fee online when registering or using an open university gift voucher (information in Finnish). The payment is processed by Ceepos or Paytrail Oy. Please note that American Express is not accepted by the University of Helsinki.
• Some courses may carry additional material fees. Information on possible material fees is available on the relevant course page.
• Registration is binding, and the fee will not be reimbursed once paid. If the student falls ill before the studies begin and cannot participate, the sum of the course fee exceeding €75 will be reimbursed against a doctor’s certificate.
• The fee for a study module only covers the courses required for the minimum number of credits in the module. The student must pay an additional fee for any courses exceeding the minimum number of credits.
• Participation in MOOCs is free of charge. However, if you want to enter the completed course (credits) in University of Helsinki’s student information system, you must register for the course after completing it and pay the Open University course fee. Some MOOCs are completely free of charge. More detailed information is available on the course page of the relevant course. Read more about MOOCs.
• If the University of Helsinki cancels the teaching, the course will be reimbursed in full.
• The fees are based on the Universities Act (558/2009) as well as the Government Decree on fees collected at universities (1082/2009) and the amendment to the Decree (1436/2014).
• Course fees are exempt from VAT (Value Added Tax Act 1501/1993, section 39)
• As payments under public law, the collection of Open University fees as well as the associated interest and charges may be enforced without a separate judgement or decision (Act on the Enforcement of Taxes and Public Payments 706/2007).

Some Open University courses are freely available to all or specific groups of students.

• Introductory courses are offered free of charge to acquaint participants with specific disciplines and university studies.
• Summer courses are free of charge to University of Helsinki undergraduate students. However, please note the following: 
  
  • You must be an attending undergraduate (first- or second-cycle) student of the University of Helsinki at the time of registration.
  • You may be charged for any course material.
  • Exemption from payment does not apply to raising grades. If you wish to raise a grade for a previously completed course on the basis of an open university course, you must always pay the relevant course fee. Before registering, please contact the admissions and student advice staff of the Open University at avoin-student@helsinki.fi.
  • Summer courses are not free of charge to doctoral researchers.
• Massive open online courses, or MOOCs, can be taken free of charge. However, if you want to enter the completed course (credits) in University of Helsinki’s student information system, you must register for the course after completing it and pay the Open University course fee. Some MOOCs are free also with regard to entering the completed course in the student information system. Read more about MOOCs.
• Open university courses are free of charge in 2025 and academic year 2025-2026 for people who have fled Ukraine because of the war and who are receiving temporary protection. Further information: Open university courses free of charge for people fleeing from Ukraine due to the war and who have been granted temporary protection

• Should your plans change and you cannot participate on the course, please cancel your registration by emailing the admissions and student advice staff of the Open University at avoin-student@helsinki.fi. This way your place will be freed for use by another student. 
• Cancelling your registration does not lead to a reimbursement of the course fee (see the terms of payment of the Open University above).