Education and training – your path to a job that that suits your work ability

What is vocational rehabilitation offered in the form of education or training?

Kela can grant you vocational rehabilitation in the form of education or training. In that case, you can get rehabilitation allowance (kuntoutusraha) for the duration of your education or training. Participating in education or training can give you skills that will help you find the right kind of job for your health.

For example, vocational rehabilitation can help you

• complete a degree
• complete parts of a degree if that will help you find work
• change to a different field of work if you have to for health reasons
• supplement your skills and expertise.

You have to be accepted into an education or training programme first. Once you have been admitted to education or training, you can apply for vocational rehabilitation from Kela. Kela will assess if the education or training is suitable for you, considering your health.

Who is this kind of vocational rehabilitation for?

Education or training may be a good option for you if, for example,

• you are a young person or an adult of working age
• you do not have previous education or training
• you change to a different field of work due to a medical condition or disability
• you need preparatory education before you start studies that lead to a degree.

What kind of education or training can Kela cover?

Kela can grant you vocational rehabilitation for example for the following forms of education or training:

• basic education for adults
• education preparing you for further study, such as preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA)
• studies that lead to a vocational qualification
• studies at an upper secondary school (lukio)
• higher education studies
• apprenticeship training.

Expenses

Kela may reimburse you for expenses related to your education or training, such as

• study supplies (no reimbursement is available if the education or training is free of charge for you under the Act on Compulsory Education)
• the student healthcare fee
• travel costs if you have to live outside your municipality of residence (kotikunta) due to your studies.

How to apply

If you want to apply for vocational rehabilitation in the form of education or training, you need a medical statement B (B-lausunto) from a doctor or some other kind of medical documentation that has the same information as a medical statement B. You must also successfully apply for a place of study yourself. Once you have been admitted to the education or training you have chosen, you can apply for vocational rehabilitation from Kela in the form of education or training. 

After you get a medical statement B or other medical documentation and you have a place of study, do as follows:

1. Fill in the application form for vocational rehabilitation KU 101e (PDF).

   • Save the blank form to your device. Do not fill in the form directly in the browser because some of the information may not be saved that way.
   • Open the form with Adobe Reader and fill it in.
   • Save the completed application form on your device. Note that the application must be in PDF format.
2. Send the application in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).

   • Log in to OmaKela and select Tee hakemus (Submit an application).
   • First select Sairastaminen ja kuntoutus (Sickness and rehabilitation). Then select Kuntoutus – tee hakemus (Rehabilitation – Submit an application). Finally, select Ammatillinen kuntoutus (Vocational rehabilitation).
   • If you send your application in OmaKela, you do not need to sign it.
3. If you have supporting documents, send them via OmaKela after you have submitted your application. If they are paper documents, you can photograph them.

   • Send us a copy of your medical statement B or other medical documentation as a supporting document with your application.
4. Visit OmaKela to see if Kela has made a decision on your application. We will also send the decision notice to the rehabilitation service provider. This tells the service provider that Kela will pay for your rehabilitation, and the service provider will reserve a place for you on the rehabilitation course.

If you cannot use OmaKela, mail your application to Kela. Save the form to your device and fill it in after saving it. Print out the completed form and send it and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

Let us know if you cannot attend the education or training

Remember to tell Kela immediately if you do not start in your chosen education or training programme or if you stop your studies. Let us know that you have to cancel by sending a message to us in the OmaKela e-service or by calling our customer service number for rehabilitation clients.

We recommend that you also contact the educational institution to let them know you have to cancel.

What else is going on in your life?