How many months of student financial aid can you get?
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If you are enrolled in an upper secondary school or in preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) or if you are studying for a vocational upper secondary qualification, you can usually get 10 months of financial aid in an academic year from August to May.
However, you can apply to be paid student financial aid for a shorter period of time or for a longer period of time if you also study during the summer. In Finland, the academic year begins on 1 August and ends on 31 July.
You can get student financial aid starting from the first month in which you actively study for at least 18 days. When you finish your studies, you will still be paid financial aid for the last month in which you have 18 days of active study. Weekends and mid-week holidays are included in the number of days of active study.
The number of student financial aid months available during the academic year for other vocational education than a vocational upper secondary qualification depends on the period of study. Examples of other vocational education are liberal adult education programmes organised by folk high schools and basic education for adults.
You can get financial aid for months in which you have at least 18 days of active study. Weekends and mid-week holidays are included in the number of days of active study.
If you graduate from your upper secondary school in spring, you can still get financial aid in May.
If you graduate in autumn, you can still get financial aid in November.
When does your first or last month of study have 18 days of active study?
Joona studies at a folk high school. The folk high school’s period of study begins on 20 August and ends on 24 May. As Joona only has 12 days of active study in August (20–31 August), he cannot get financial aid in August. However, Joona has 24 days of active study in May (1–24 May). This means that Joona can get financial aid in May.
All in all, Joona can get financial aid from the beginning of September to the end of May.
How many months of financial aid can you get?
You can usually get 10 months of student financial aid in each academic year from August to May if you are enrolled in upper secondary education.
This means being enrolled in an upper secondary school or in preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA) or studying for a vocational upper secondary qualification. Studies you have completed in the past do not affect the number of months of financial aid you can get for a new course of study.
Any financial aid you are paid while enrolled in upper secondary education does not affect the number of financial aid months you can get for your studies in institutions of higher education. The reverse is also true: any student financial aid you are paid while enrolled in higher education does not affect the number of financial aid months you can get for upper secondary education.
If you are in upper secondary school, you can initially get financial aid for the first 3 years of school. If your studies continue after that, you can apply for additional financial aid separately. The additional financial aid is granted for 1 academic year at a time for a maximum of 2 academic years.
If you are studying for a vocational upper secondary qualification, the initial number of financial aid months you can get depends on the scope of your study programme. If your studies continue after that, apply for additional financial aid separately. The additional financial aid is granted for 1 year at a time for a maximum of 2 years. After that you can get financial aid only if your studies were interrupted for a compelling reason.
If you are enrolled in any other kind of secondary education than upper secondary school or a vocational upper secondary qualification, the initial number of financial aid months you can get depends on the scope of your study programme. If your studies continue after that, you can get additional financial aid for up to 1 year. Apply for the additional financial aid separately.
If you are enrolled in basic education for adults, you can get student financial aid for the period of time you study full-time in accordance with your personal study plan. You can get financial aid initially for the first 4 years of study.
If your studies continue after that, you can get additional financial aid for 1 academic year at a time for a maximum of 2 academic years. You can also apply for student financial aid for 1 year at a time. Remember to submit your study plan with your application.
How to apply for additional months of financial aid
- Apply for extended or additional financial aid in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish) by submitting a notification of changes.
- Check the section on supporting documents in the notification of changes to see whether you need to include a certificate issued by your place of study or other supporting documents. Scan or take a photo of any supporting documents and send them through OmaKela.
- Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much financial aid you will get and when it will be paid. You will also see reminders to submit any missing supporting documents.
If you cannot use OmaKela, send your application to Kela by post. Save the form Notification of changes – Financial aid for students OT 15e (PDF) 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.
Financial aid in the summer months
You can get financial aid in the summer months if you study during the summer and if you complete courses or other studies or take exams or participate in on-the-job-training that are a part of your degree.
If you study in an upper secondary school, you can get financial aid in the summer months if your summer studies are included in the upper secondary school syllabus. To qualify for financial aid in the summer months, you have to complete at least 18 days of active study organised by an educational institution in each month for which you apply for financial aid. Weekends and mid-week holidays are included in the number of days of active study.
Enclose a certificate stating the duration and contents of your summer studies with your application. The certificate can be issued by the educational institution where you study during the summer months. You cannot get financial aid in the summer months if you study independently. An example of independent study is preparing for your matriculation exams.
If you are enrolled in vocational education or a folk high school, you can get financial aid in the summer months if you complete studies included in your degree, such as an online course or on-the-job-training. To qualify for financial aid in the summer months, you have to have at least 18 days of active study in each month for which you apply for financial aid. Weekends and mid-week holidays are included in the number of days of active study. State the start and end dates of your summer studies in your notification of changes.
Student financial aid in the summer months for upper secondary school students
Sara studies in an upper secondary school. She applies to be paid student financial aid in July. The certificate issued by Sara’s school states that the school offers summer studies for a period of 19 days from 4 to 22 July. As Sara will have at least 18 days of active study in July, she can be paid student financial aid in July.
How to apply for financial aid for the summer months
- Apply for financial aid for the summer months in the OmaKela e-service (in Finnish and Swedish) by submitting a notification of changes. We recommend that you apply for financial aid for the summer months as early as possible because the earliest you can be paid student financial aid is from the beginning of the month in which your application arrived at Kela.
- State the duration of your summer studies in your application.
- If you study in upper secondary school, enclose a certificate of your summer studies issued by your school with the application. Take a photo of the certificate and send it in OmaKela.
- Visit OmaKela to see if your application has been decided, how much financial aid you will get and when it will be paid. You will also see reminders to submit any missing supporting documents.
If you cannot use OmaKela, send your application to Kela by post. Save the form Notification of changes – Financial aid for students OT 15e (PDF) 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.