Amount and payment of financial aid to students studying abroad

You can use the calculator linked below to calculate the estimate the amount of the study grant, housing supplement and loan guarantees you can get based on information you enter into the calculator. You do not have to be logged in to use it.

Calculation of financial aid

To calculator (in Finnish)

Kela pays financial aid into your bank account in Finland. The payment date is the 1st of each month or the immediately following business day. Any backdated payments will normally be deposited to your account within two banking days of the date on which the decision was given.

If you would like the payments to be made into a foreign bank account, indicate the name, BIC code and address of the bank and your IBAN account number on the financial aid application.

You must cover any additional costs of having financial aid paid abroad.

Amount of the study grant

The amount of the study grant and the eligibility criteria are usually the same as those which apply to studies completed in Finland.

The study grant is taxable income.

Taxation of the study grant when living abroad for more than 3 years

Finnish citizens who have lived abroad for 3 years become nonresident for tax purposes and have a limited liability to pay tax in Finland. Foreign nationals who move from Finland to another country have limited tax liability right away.

If you have limited tax liability, submit a tax-at-source card or a non-resident’s tax card to Kela. The income type on the tax card must be the study grant. If you do not submit a tax card, a tax-at-source of 35 percent will be deducted from your study grant.

You can ask the Tax Administration to send the tax card directly to Kela. Alternatively, you can submit the tax card by sending a message in OmaKela. Under Aihe (Subject), select Opiskelijan asiat (Students) and then Opintotuki (Student financial aid). If you prefer to send the tax card by post, you can do so at the following address: Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

Amount of the housing supplement

If you study abroad and live in rental accommodation, your housing supplement will be EUR 210 per month. Your housing costs do not affect the amount of the housing supplement.

Parental income will not affect the amount of the housing supplement.

If you do not live abroad for study reasons, you cannot be paid the housing supplement.

The housing supplement for foreign study is not available if you live your parent or in an owner-occupied home. The term 'owner-occupied' refers to any home owned by yourself, by your spouse or partner or by your parent. The bostadsrätt housing available in Sweden is equated with owner-occupied housing.

The housing supplement is tax-free income.

Amount of the loan guarantee

The loan guarantee will be EUR 800 per month for all who are studying abroad.

Before going abroad, talk to your bank about the details concerning the disbursement and repayment of student loans.