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Maximum period of eligibility for financial aid

The maximum period of eligibility for financial aid depends on the type of school you attend.

Secondary education

The maximum period of eligibility for financial aid for your studies is dependent on the type of study programme you pursue in the same way as for secondary education being completed in Finland.

Higher education

The maximum period of eligibility depends on the extent of the degree programme just as is the case with higher education study in Finland. This means that your maximum eligibility depends both on the extent of the degree programme and when you began your first course of study in higher education. If the extent of the degree programme is not specified according to the European Credit Transfer System, the maximum eligibility period is determined based on the standard time to degree.

Any month for which you are paid a study grant, a housing supplement or both counts against the maximum number of months for which you can get financial aid, and is considered a financial aid month both for purposes of the income check and when monitoring your study progress.

Months of financial aid available during the school year

You will receive student financial aid in accordance with full months of study from the beginning of your course of study. A full month of financial aid is available for any month in which there are at least 18 days of active study. The same manner of calculating is used for all studies that are completed entirely abroad.

You can also get financial aid for some other period, e.g. for the summer months, if you are a full-time student.

Example 1

The period of study in the school year is 4 September to 23 June, that is 9 full months and 20 days. Financial aid can be granted for 10 months, i.e. from 1 September to 30 June.

Example 2

The period of study in the school year is 10 September to 20 June, that is 9 full months and 11 days. Financial aid can be granted for 9 months, i.e. from 1 September to 31 May or from 1 October to 30 June.

Study progress

In order to get financial aid, you must make satisfactory progress with your studies. Kela monitors study progress in the same way as with studies that are being completed in Finland.

European universities use the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). ECTS credits correspond to the credits awarded when completing a university degree in Finland. One academic year consists of 60 ECTS credits.

The number of credits that must be earned in other countries corresponds to the equivalent ECTS requirement.