After graduation
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Congratulations on your degree, fresh graduate! Although your studying days are now behind you, you can still get benefits from Kela.
How graduating affects your student loan
You do not usually have to make repayments on your student loan or pay interest while you qualify for student financial aid. You will usually have to start paying back your student loan 1–2 years after you got your last student financial aid payment. Agree on the repayment schedule with your bank.
Read more about student loans for students in upper secondary school or vocational education.
Read more about student loans for students in higher education.
If you graduated from an institution of higher education, do not make repayments on your student loan in or before the year you graduate. If you do, you may lose your right to student loan compensation.
Assistance with student loan interest
You must start paying back the interest on your student loan after you graduate or after you have used up your student financial aid. If you have a low income, Kela can pay the interest on your student loan.
Read more about interest assistance.
Kela can pay back a part of your student loan
If you graduate from an institution of higher education within the specified target time, we can pay back a part of your student loan. This is called a student loan compensation.
More information about the student loan compensation.
If you started your first course of study in higher education before 1 August 2014, you can get a student loan tax deduction. You can get the deduction if you completed your degree within the specified target time and you have taken out at least EUR 2,500 in student loan.
The student loan tax deduction applies to your taxes. This means that the amount of the student loan tax deduction is deducted from the taxes you have to pay while you make repayments on your student loan to the bank. You do not have to apply for the student loan tax deduction separately.
If you graduated from an institution of higher education, do not make repayments on your student loan in or before the year you graduate. If you do, you may lose your right to the student loan tax deduction.
If you accepted an offer of admission before 1 August 2014 but registered as attending for the first time on or after 1 August 2014, you can get student loan compensation instead of the student loan tax deduction.
You can call us if you want more information about the student loan tax deduction.
Income in the year you graduate
Keep all documents that show how much income you had in the year of your graduation. If your annual income exceeds the income limit for student financial aid, you can use the documents to prove that you were paid the income after you graduated. You do not have to show proof of wages or benefits that are recorded in the Incomes Register.
Report changes in your income to Kela
If you are paid general housing allowance and your income changes after you graduate, remember to report those changes to us.
Read more about reporting changes.
Healthcare fee for students in higher education in your year of graduation
You do not have to pay the healthcare fee after you have graduated. However, you must pay the fee up until the academic term in which you are issued your degree certificate.
If you graduate in the middle of the academic term, you can use the services offered by the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) until the end of the term. In that case, you also have to pay the healthcare fee for the entire academic term.
Read more about how graduating affects the healthcare fee for higher education students.
If you cannot find work immediately
If you cannot find work immediately after you graduate, register as an unemployed jobseeker with Job Market Finland and apply for unemployment benefits from Kela.
Read more about unemployment benefits.
If you need help with your housing costs, check if you can get general housing allowance.
Read more about housing allowance.
Are you about to start military or non-military service?
If you are about to start military or non-military service, you can get conscript’s allowance from Kela. We can also pay the allowance to your partner or child.
Read more about the conscript’s allowance.
Are you planning to start a family?
After a child is born, the parents have the right to family leave and various benefits paid by Kela.
Read more about family benefits.
Higher earnings-related pension for graduates
If you complete a degree, you can get a higher earnings-related pension after you retire. A fixed pension accrual period applies to each degree. However, the total amount of earnings-related pension you can get depends on how long you stay in working life and how much you earn.
Read more about how your degree affects your earnings-related pension.