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Students

Students can get financial aid from Kela for post-comprehensive school education. This quick guide explains the types of financial aid that could be relevant for you.

See the quick guide for students

How corona affects student benefits

Update on the coronavirus situation

Secondary education

Financial aid for students: You can get financial aid for full-time study after comprehensive school.
Supplementary allowance for the purchase of study materials: Supplementary allowance for the purchase of study materials can be granted to upper secondary school students and students pursuing vocational qualifications. The earliest that you can get the supplementary allowance for the purchase of study materials is when you are 15 or 16 years old.
Student's age and parental income: See how your age and your parents’ income affect your study grant, student loan and housing benefit.
School transport subsidy: You can get a school transport subsidy if your daily trip to school is at least 10 kilometres.

Higher education

Financial aid for students: If you are enrolled in a course of study leading to an academic degree, you are considered to be a full-time student and you can get financial aid.
Making satisfactory academic progress: We review your academic progress yearly to check that you earn enough credits. But what is enough?
The effect of other income: Make sure that any other income you earn in addition to financial aid does not exceed your annual income limit.
Running out of eligibility months: The maximum number of months that you can get financial aid depends on the extent of your study programme. It's a good idea to plan in advance how and when you wish to take out financial aid.

After graduation

Student loan compensation: If you take out a student loan and complete an academic degree within the target time, Kela pays back part of your student loan.
Student loan tax deduction: If you started your course of higher education study before 1 August 2014, you can get a student loan tax deduction.
Interest assistance: Kela can pay the interest on your student loan if you have low income.

Benefits for students

The brochure explains the main issues concerning the benefits from Kela that are available for students.

Reminder for students attending school outside Finland

If you are completing your degree entirely outside Finland, you must send Kela a certificate of attendance and a certified transcript of your course credits in the previous year.

Calculators for students

Benefit calculators (in Finnish and in Swedish) let you see whether you might be eligible for various benefits and how much you could expect to get. The result is an estimate based on the information you have given. You need not be logged in to use the calculator.

Customer service numbers for English-speaking customers

The service number 020 634 2550 can be contacted concerning benefits for students.

Financial aid for foreign students

In some cases, the financial aid for students is also available for non-citizens of Finland.

Kysy Kelasta discussion forum for international situations

You can easily ask Kela’s experts, for example, about studying or working abroad via Kysy Kelasta discussion forum for international situations.

© Kansaneläkelaitos - The Social Insurance Institution of Finland