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Housing supplement

Students living in rental accommodation in Finland can get general housing allowance.

Government proposes changes to housing benefits for students, school transport subsidy and the waiting times guarantee and therapy guarantee for higher education students

The Government proposes that all students who do not have a child they provide for would be transferred from the general housing allowance scheme to the student housing supplement scheme. Another proposed change is that the right to school transport subsidy would only apply to students entitled to free education. The Government also proposes changes to the waiting times guarantee and a new form of therapy guarantee. Read more about the planned changes to student benefits.

The student housing supplement is only available to

You may be granted housing supplement for students studying abroad, provided that you are studying

  • in a foreign educational institution
  • in a Finnish educational institution and you are completing a study unit abroad.

To qualify, you must both live and study abroad. If you do not live abroad for study reasons, you cannot be paid the housing supplement. Read more about housing supplement for students studying abroad.

If you are enrolled in a tuition-based programme of a Finnish folk high school, sports institute or the Sámi Educational Institute and live in a school dormitory, you can get a housing supplement of EUR 88.87 per month. Your parents’ income will not affect the amount of the housing supplement. You can be paid a housing supplement and a government guarantee for a student loan even if you do not qualify for a study grant. The housing supplement is also available, subject to the same qualifying conditions, to those studying in the folk high school programme of an institute of vocational education.

Housing supplement for students studying in the Åland Islands

You may be granted housing supplement, if you are living in the Province of Åland and you are

  • studying in an Åland Islands educational institution
  • studying in another educational institution and completing a study unit in the Åland Islands.

If you study in the Åland Islands and live in rental accommodation or a right-of-occupancy home there, your housing supplement will be EUR 210 per month. Your housing costs do not affect the amount of the housing supplement.

Your parents’ income will not affect the amount of the housing supplement.

If you do not live in the Åland Islands for study reasons, you are not entitled to housing supplement.

Housing allowance is not granted if you

  • live with your parent
  • live in a home that is owned by yourself, your spouse or partner, or your parents
  • live with your own or your partner’s child
  • live with a spouse or partner who is receiving housing allowance for pensioners, or if you yourself are receiving housing allowance for pensioners.

Payment date

The housing supplement is deposited into your bank account on the 1st day of the month or on the immediately following business day. For example, if the 1st day of the month is a Saturday, the study grant is paid on the following Monday.

Kela sends the data on student financial aid paid out to the national incomes register within five days of the date of payment.

Taxation

You do not have to pay tax on the housing supplement.

Last modified 1/10/2024