Delays in the processing of student financial aid applications – most higher education students will get their benefits on time in September
Kela has received a large number of applications for the housing supplement for students due to recent changes in the housing benefits available to students. This means that some higher education students will receive their student financial aid or their student housing supplement for September after a slight delay.
The processing times of applications for student financial aid and the housing supplement for students continue to be longer than usual at Kela. Although the majority of applicants will receive their benefits on the usual payment date of 1 September, approximately 3,000 students will have to wait slightly longer. Most of these students will be paid their benefits by Wednesday, 3 September, at the latest. Kela apologises for the delay.
The majority of new and returning higher education students have been granted the study grant and the government loan guarantee. These funds can be used as a stopgap measure to cover housing costs at the beginning of the academic term. In addition, returning higher education students have been able to draw down their student loan funds since 1 August 2025.
“Both new and returning students who have already received a decision on their study grant and loan guarantee can use these funds as a stopgap measure in September. Students who have not yet received a decision on their student housing supplement will receive one by mid-September at the latest,” says Marianne Schauman-Lindberg, Head of the Centre for Student Benefits at Kela.
As of 27 August, approximately 47,000 applications for student financial aid submitted by higher education students were being processed at Kela. This is an improvement compared to the situation on 7 August, when 82,000 applications were waiting in queue for processing.
It is currently taking Kela over 14 days to process applications submitted by higher education students. This is longer than the target time Kela has set for the processing of these applications. According to Schauman-Lindberg, the situation will return to normal next week. Applications for student financial aid submitted by students in upper secondary education are processed within the usual target time of 14 days.
Students who are not able to pay their rent due to the delay in the payment of their benefits should contact their landlord to discuss their options.
Use OmaKela to check the status of your application
Students who receive a decision on student financial aid and the housing supplement by 28 August at the latest will be paid their benefits as usual on the payment date for September. The decision can be viewed in OmaKela.
Customers can use the OmaKela e-service to check that their application is being processed, but messages asking for more information on processing times will not be answered. Kela’s customer service specialists also do not have any information on how long it will take to review an individual customer’s application or when they can expect a decision.
Customers do not need to submit a new application or contact Kela even if it takes longer than usual for Kela to process their application.