Amount of the student loan
The amount that the government loan guarantee covers depends on your age and your school.
Changes to the study grant and student loans
The Parliament has approved amendments to the Act on Student Financial Aid. The amount of the government guarantee for student loans will be increased and the number of disbursements of student loan funds will be changed. The provider supplement to the study grant will also be increased. The changes will take effect in stages during 2024.
| Students | EUR per month |
|---|---|
| Students under 18 years of age, other than higher education | 300 |
| Students 18 years or older, other than higher education | 650 |
| Students in higher education | 650 |
| Recipients of the adult education allowance (studying in Finland) | 650 |
| Students studying abroad | 800 |
| Students | EUR per month |
|---|---|
| Students under 18 years of age, other than higher education | 400 |
| Students 18 years or older, other than higher education | 850 |
| Students in higher education | 850 |
| Recipients of the adult education allowance (studying in Finland) | 850 |
| Students studying abroad | 1,000 |
With our calculator (in Finnish) you can estimate the amount of financial aid you can get based on the data you enter. You do not have to be logged in to use it.
Disbursement of the student loan by the bank
If you get a student loan guarantee from Kela, you can apply for a student loan at any bank of your choice. Take a look at the bank’s instructions for applying for a student loan for example by visiting its website. The bank decides whether to give you a loan.
The student loan is disbursed in two instalments in each academic year. The financial aid decision you receive will tell you the instalments and the start and end dates for disbursement. No exceptions can be made to the disbursement dates. Ask your bank what you need to do to have the loan funds deposited into your account.
In the OmaKela e-service, you can look up your financial aid decision and see your loan details, including any loan amounts that are available for disbursement. Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.
Student loan disbursement dates
- Disbursement for the autumn term: Earliest date 1 August
- Disbursement for the spring term: Earliest date 1 January
There is usually also the option of having loan instalments disbursed later during the same academic year (1 August - 31 July). Check the financial aid decision or the OmaKela e-service for the last possible disbursement date. You cannot draw down the student loan after that date. Please note that our e-service is only available in Finnish and Swedish.
Further, you cannot draw down any student loan funds after you have graduated or otherwise ended your course of study. However, you will be covered by any government loan guarantees issued for loans already disbursed to you.
In the following situations, you can have your student loan for an entire term disbursed to you in a single instalment:
- You are completing a degree outside Finland.
- You are a post-graduate student.
- You are paid adult education allowance.
- Your course of study lasts no more than 12 months.