Kela and financial aid
If you’re enrolled in studies leading to an academic degree, you’re considered to be a full-time student and you can get financial aid. The purpose of financial aid is to provide economic security for students. Financial aid is available in the forms of study grant, government guarantee for a student loan and housing supplement. Financial aid for studies pursued in Finland is available for Finnish citizens and, under certain conditions, to citizens of other countries.
VAMK students from non EU countries and paying tuition fees are eligble for applying a scholarship.
International students are eligible for Student Financial Aid from the government of Finland if they have lived in Finland at least two years for some other purpose than studies, and their residence in Finland is regarded to be permanent. International students from the EU countries are not eligible for the Finnish government study support if studying is their only reason for coming to Finland.
If you are not a Finnish citizen and have come to Finland for study purposes, the general rule is that you cannot get financial aid from the government.
However, you may qualify for financial aid if:
- You have been granted a continuous (A) or permanent (P) residence permit or an EU residence permit for third-country nationals (P-EU or P-EY).
- If you are a citizen of another EU or EEA country or of Switzerland, the family member of such a person, or a citizen of a Nordic country, you only have to register your right of residence or present your residence card.
- If you are living in Finland permanently
- If you have arrived in Finland for some other reason than to study. Such a reason can for example be employment, family ties or return migration.
In order to get financial aid, you must make satisfactory progress with your studies. Your progress is regarded as satisfactory if your period of full-time study does not substaintially exceed the standard study time for oyur course of study.
You must complete at least 5 credits on average for each month of financial aid and at least 20 credits in each academic year (the minimum requirement)
Maximum period of eligibility
- 210 credits à 35 of eligibility in months
- 240 credits à 39 of eligibility in months
Study grant
- your age
- what type of school you attend
- whether you live independently or with your parents
- You are considered to be living with your parent if the two of you live in the same flat or house.
- whether you are married
- whether you have children.
In certain situations, also your parents’ income may affect the amount of your study grant.
The study grant does not count as income for the recipient for purpose of the financial aid income check. More about the amount and special situations which might affect to the amount can be found from here.
Student loan
The student loan is a government-guaranteed loan that you must pay back. If Kela gives you a loan guarantee you can apply for a loan at a bank of your choice. You can get a government guarantee for a student loan if you are being paid a study grant by Kela or an adult education allowance by the Employment Fund. Study grant is considered to mean other kinds of study grant than the supplementary allowance for the purchase of study materials. The monthly amount for students in higher education is 650€ per month. The student loan is disbursed in two instalments in each academic year. Ask your bank what you need to do to have the loan funds deposited into your account. The disbursement dates for the autumn term is earliest 1st of August and for the spring term the earliest is 1st of January.
Housing supplement
Students living in rental accommodation in Finland can get general housing allowance. A household comprises the persons sharing living quarters. The housing allowance is granted to the household collectively. Students can get general housing allowance under the same conditions as all other customers. This means that months of study or the maximum time limits for financial aid will not be considered when awarding housing benefits. The general housing allowance is 80% of the difference between the acceptable housing costs and the basic deductible. You can use an online calculator to estimate the amount of housing allowance you can get.
Impact of your income
Your income will affect the number of months per year for which you will be able to receive financial aid. You must make sure that your annual income does not exceed a specified limit. Kela takes into account your taxable gross earnings, grants, scholarships and foreign income. Tax-exempt grants and scholarships are not taken into account as income, if the grant or scholarship is paid in 2019 or later.
Your annual income limit is determined on the basis of the number of months for which you have drawn financial aid during a calendar year. For example if you draw financial aid for 9 months of the calendar year, your annual income limit is 12 298€. You can check your own annual income limit from here.
Wellbeing Programme
Every student and employee has a right to a good and well-balanced study and working envi-ronment. The objective of this Wellbeing Programme is to secure and actively develop means to make Vaasan ammattikorkeakoulu, University of Applied Sciences (VAMK or UAS from now on) a safeplace to study and work and which also supports our wellbeing.
Confronting people’s diverse problems requires the co-operation of many employees. Our UAS is continuously developing means for the prevention and recognition of problems. In-vention in and prevention of problems is part of VAMK’s operation, as well activity that promotes our wellbeing as a community.
The objective is the early recognition of crisis situations and problems threatening the wellbe-ing. It is also important to intervene in problems in time and thus prevent the marginalization from the studies, as well as to support students’ possibility to finish their studies. For exam-ple, the use of intoxicants and drugs and untreated mental problems must be seen as risks for work safety, as well. Both studies at VAMK and practical training require that such threaten-ing factors are minimised and prevented.
As anappendix to this wellbeing programme there is a model for early intervention where you can find instructions how to proceed in threatening situations and how they can be prevented. Every employee working in our work community has an obligation to act in a situation that is a threat to our wellbeing.
Enable the Self service when visiting FSHS
All new students should log in to the Self service and update their contact information there. You can update your contact details, manage your appointments, use the chat service with a professional, renew contraceptive prescriptions, and fill out other forms there.
Service point opening hours
Open Mon-Thu from 8 am to 3 pm, Fri from 8 am to 2 pm.
Visiting addresses:
- Wolffintie 30 (VAMK), 65200 Vaasa (entrance from the backyard)
- Wolffintie 27-31 (Alere), 4th floor, 65200 Vaasa (access through Alere’s inner courtyard)
Assessment of treatment needs and appointment booking
By phone
- Mon-Thu 8 am – 3 pm, Fri 8 am – 2 pm
- General and mental health services, phone: 046 710 1073
- Oral health services, phone: 046 710 1085
- For general and mental health matters: Mon-Fri from 09:00 to 11:00
- For oral health matters: Mon-Fri from 09:00 to 11:00
Student healthcare fee
You must pay the student healthcare fee if you are studying for a higher education degree and have registered as attending for the current term. The healthcare fee covers medical care and mental health services as well as oral health services from the Finnish Student Health Services (FSHS). You must pay the fee even if you use occupational or other health services instead of the FSHS.
You are not billed for the student healthcare fee but must make sure to pay it in OmaKela for each academic term. Visit Kela’s website for information about how to pay the student healthcare fee.
The due date for paying the student healthcare fee is determined based on the date on which you register as attending.
- For the spring term, the due date is 15 March provided that you have registered as attending by 31 January. If you register as attending for the spring term on or after 1 February, the due date is 31 July.
- The due date for the autumn term is 15 November, assuming that you register as attending by 30 September. If you register as attending for the autumn term on or after 1 October, the due date is 31 December.
If you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee, but you must still contact Kela. However, you can use the FSHS’s services. Visit Kela’s website for information about how to proceed if you have social security coverage in another EU/EEA country, Switzerland, Great Britain or Northern Ireland.
Pastor of an educational institution
Do you need a conversation partner
- to reflect on your relationships?
- in crises in your own or your loved ones?
- in matters of the meaning of life?
- in your religious reflection?
- when studying or working feels stressful?
- when exhaustion threatens?
Don’t be left alone! You can contact the college priest when you feel you need a two-way, confidential discussion and support. You can also ask any questions related to church ordinances, the adult penitentiary, or church activities.
During exceptional circumstances, meetings are arranged remotely via Skype or the like, for example, a joint walk is also possible.
The time and place will be agreed in advance by e-mail or telephone. In your personal affairs, the priest is bound by absolute secrecy.
Room WA1128 (Wolffintie 30) at VAMK on Wednesdays from 1 pm to 3 pm (from October 1st.).
Contact information
University chaplain Alma Tuiskula
Tel./WhatsApp 044 4808 224
Meeting hours: Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, VAMK, on Wednesdays at 1-3 pm., room WA1128 (Wolffintie 30).
Welcome!
FSHS Wolffintie
Wolffintie 30 (VAMK), 65200 Vaasa (entrance from the backyard)
- Mental health services (psychologists and psychiatrists)
- Oral health services
YTHS Alere
Wolffintie 27-31 (Alere), 4th floor, 65200 Vaasa (access through Alere’s inner courtyard)
- General health services (doctors, nurses, physiotherapists)
- Psychiatric nurses
