If your circumstances change
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Please remember to notify Kela if your circumstances change and the change may affect your eligibility for student financial aid or housing supplement. Your circumstances may also affect the amount of financial aid.
What kinds of changes should you notify Kela of?
Let us know if
- you move out of your parents’ home
- you move in with your parents
- you discontinue your studies
- you graduate or complete your studies. You need not report that you have graduated or completed your studies if your studies end at the end of the same month as your financial aid ends.
- you enter military or non-military service
- you receive income from abroad
- you start getting some other benefit from Kela which makes you ineligible for financial aid
- you start a period of paid vocational on-the-job training (apprenticeship training).
When you get housing supplement, also tell us if
- you move to a new home
- you move in with your partner or you separate from your partner
- your rent or other housing costs change.
If you study at a higher education institution and the content of your studies changes but the educational institution, the degree level and its scope does not change, you do not have to report it to Kela.
If your circumstances change, this may change the amount of your student financial aid. You can usually get student financial aid according to your new circumstances starting from the month when your new circumstances have been valid for at least 18 calendar days. However, in some situations we will have to stop payment of the financial aid.
Why Kela has to know your circumstances?
If we do not have up-to-date information on your circumstances, you may be paid financial aid without grounds or to an amount that is too high. In such cases, we will collect any overpayments from you. It can also happen that the amount of the financial aid is too low. This means that it is worthwhile to notify us of any changes.
Moving into own apartment
Elli, who has previously lived with her parent, moves into a rental apartment and submits a notification of changes concerning student financial aid and an application for housing supplement.
- If the date of moving falls into the timeframe 1 October - 14 October, she receives a study grant and housing supplement for students living independently from the beginning of October, because she lives independently for at least 18 days during the month of October.
- If the date of moving is between 15 October and 31 October, Elli is paid a higher rate of study grant and housing supplement from the beginning of November, because she lives independently for less than 18 days during the month of October.
From student financial aid to sickness allowance
Joona takes sick leave and Kela grants him sickness allowance starting from 15 September. Joona’s study grant and housing supplement are automatically ended at the beginning of October, because in October sickness allowance is paid for at least 18 days. Joona applies for general housing allowance for the period when he cannot get housing supplement.
Joona’s sickness allowance ends on 15 December. He cannot get student financial aid until the beginning of January, because in December he does not have enough days entitling him to student financial aid. Joona must himself apply for continued payment of the study grant and after that the housing supplement.
Graduating or withdrawing from a course of study
If you graduate or discontinue your studies, we will stop the payment of your student financial aid either from the beginning of your last month of active study or the month after that. The date when the payment will be stopped depends on when you graduate or discontinue your studies:
- If you graduate or discontinue your studies between the 1 and 17 day of the month, we will stop payment of your student financial aid from the beginning of the same month.
- If you graduate or discontinue your studies between the 18 and 31 day of the month, we will stop paying you student financial aid from the beginning of the next month. In that case, the last period of slightly less than a month is included in the time of active study also as regards the income check.
Temporary changes
Temporary changes include study periods abroad and periods of practical training or on-the-job training which involve changes in housing circumstances. If the study period abroad or the period of practical or on-the-job training last for at least 18 days during a month, the amount of your financial aid may change.
Study exchange
Anni goes abroad on study exchange for the period from 20 January to 10 June, so she does not study for at least 18 days in January nor in June.
On the basis of the notification of changes, Anni gets housing supplement for students who study abroad and a higher government guarantee for student loans from February to May. In January she gets student financial aid to the same amount as students studying in Finland.
If Anni studies in Finland in June, she must apply for financial aid separately for June with a notification of changes concerning student financial aid.
How to report changes
Notify Kela of changes that affect the housing supplement with an application for housing supplement in the OmaKela e-service (available in Finnish and Swedish).
If you cannot use OmaKela, you can call our customer service number or complete and print out the form Notification of changes concerning student financial aid OT 15e (PDF).
With the form Notification of cancellation, withdrawal or repayment of student financial aid OT 16e (PDF) you can cancel or pay back student financial aid or withdraw payment of the financial aid, if you graduate, your studies are discontinued or you are in military or non-military service.
If you move, remember to notify the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (dvv.fi) of your new address.
What else is going on in your life?
Do you have a baby on the way?
Read more about the benefits Kela offers to families. You can also study during your family leave if you have the time.
Did you fall ill?
If you have to take a long sick leave, consider applying for sickness allowance instead of using your student financial aid months. Contact student health services to get the medical certificate you need to qualify for sickness allowance.
Are you unable to study due to illness or issues with your mental health?
If your daily life is a struggle due to illness or issues with your mental health, you can get help. Find out what kind of rehabilitation and financial assistance you can get.
What if you cannot get the housing supplement for students?
Even if you do not qualify for the student housing supplement, you may be able to get general housing allowance.