All students who apply for social assistance must apply for a student loan – Kela no longer free to use discretion
Kela is currently receiving many questions from students who are wondering how they are affected by the amendment to the Act on Social Assistance that entered into force on 1 February 2026. Students particularly want to know when they are required to apply for a student loan and if they have to apply for unemployment benefits for the summer months.
Social assistance is granted as a last resort when you cannot get help from anywhere else. This also applies to students who must apply for their primary benefits first. For students, the primary benefits that take precedence over social assistance are, for example, the study grant, the student housing supplement and a student loan. If you do not qualify for student financial aid or any other benefits, you must first try to find some other source of income that is not social assistance, such as working full time in paid employment.
If you are a student and you apply for social assistance, Kela will tell you to apply for your primary benefits first within one month. If you do not apply for your primary benefits before the deadline, Kela may have to reduce (cut) the basic amount of your social assistance. Social assistance is generally not meant to serve as a source of income for students to fund their studies.
All students must apply for a student loan – Kela no longer free to use discretion
All students who are 18 or older are now expected to apply for a student loan before they apply for social assistance.
When the amendment to the Act on Social Assistance entered into force on 1 February 2026, Kela lost the right to use discretion when deciding which students must apply for a student loan before applying for social assistance. This means that all students, including for example persons receiving follow-up care from child welfare services, are now expected to apply for a student loan.
If Kela has already issued you a decision on social assistance stating that you do not have to take out a student loan, you can get social assistance until the end of the current academic year (31 July 2026) without having to apply for a student loan.
Students ask also about their income during the summer – you do not need to stop your studies
Students must primarily support themselves financially during the summer months by working or by studying with the help of student financial aid.
If you cannot study during the summer months and you cannot get a summer job despite actively looking for one or if your other income and assets are not enough to support you, you can apply for social assistance for the summer months. Kela does not require for full-time students to register with the employment services and stop their studies in that situation. Kela will also not reduce the basic amount of their social assistance.