How to Study in Finland

for Free

Finland, among its

Scandinavian neighbors, is
known for providing an
excellent quality of life to its
population. It is also
recognized as one of the
highest performing
developed countries on the
Program for International
Student Assessment (PISA).
In addition to this, the lower
living costs in Finland
compared to many other
European or Western
countries – such as the
United States, Canada,
United Kingdom, and
Australia – are also a major
draw. It is their lower tuition
fees, where students can
either study for free or
significantly lower costs than
in other countries, that make
Finland an excellent place for
EU and international
students to gain quality
education and experience a
new country and culture. In
this article, we will be
discussing ways to study in
Finland for free.

Luckily for students all over

the world – whether you are
looking to pursue your
Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD
degree – you can study and
attend school in Finland
either for free or for very little
money. If you are an EU
(European Union), EEA
(European Economic Area) or
Swiss citizen, you can attend
school for free in Finland. If
you are an international
student, though
unfortunately, Finland does
not o er free tuition
anymore as of 2017, you are
still able to apply for
scholarships. According to
Study EU, some university
scholarships will completely
cover your tuition costs,
while some may o er up to
50% o .

Each institution has di erent

fees, so be sure to look at
their o icial websites to see
what their fees, international
student services, and
scholarship options are. It is
also important to remember
that even if your tuition costs
are covered, you are still
required to pay for your own
living expenses and food
coverage. Student union fees
may also need to be paid,
ranging between 80 – 100
Euros.
 

Some of the (many)

institutions in Finland
include:

The University of Eastern

Finland
The University of Helsinki
Aalto University
The University of Turku
The University of Oulu
The University of Vaasa
Lappeenranta University
of Technology
Hanken Swedish School
of Economics and
Business Administration

Study in Finland for Free

1. Apply to Universities in
Finland

To study in Finland for free,

you need to first apply to
universities in Finland. When
figuring out which degree
you’d like to pursue, using
Degree Finder is a great way
to do so, which you will find
on many institutions’ o icial
websites. For example, the
University of Helsinki has
one which you can access
here.

The next step is to look at the

academic requirements and
prerequisites for applying to
your degree or program of
choice. When in doubt,
consult the o icial university
website, where there is
usually a “Contact” section
to speak to the university
directly. The academic year
generally begins in
September for the fall
semester and January for
the winter/spring semester,
with application periods
usually starting in the
November before the year
you are to start. Remember
to consult and confirm
application deadlines with
your university of choice.

Not to fear for those who

don’t speak Finnish – many
of the universities o er
courses in English. O en, you
are required to take an
English entrance exam,
either in Finland or
elsewhere. The examination
is either the IELTS
(International English
Language Testing System) or
the TOEFL (Test of English as
a Foreign Language).

If you are accepted to your

school of choice, make sure
to apply for either a student
residence permit or a short-
term visa. Short-term visas
only apply if your studies are
90 days or shorter, but if you
are applying for longer-term
schooling, residence permits
are required and are valid for
two years. Refer to the
Finnish Immigration
Service website for more
information about visas.

2. Prepare the Required

Materials

It is important to bear in
mind that there are two
types of academic
institutions in Finland: UAS
(Universities of Applied
Sciences) which are more
focused on the practical
labor market needs, and
Universities which are more
academically inclined. Be
sure to check out the o icial
website for International
Students looking to study in
Finland here.

Required documents vary

based on whether the school
you are looking at is a UAS or
a University. UAS typically
need copies of completed or
in-progress qualifications,
o icial translations for
documents, original
diplomas and original o icial
translations, employment
certificates, and applications
for special arrangements for
entrance exams. For
Universities, the school you
have applied for will provide
you a list of required
documents once you have
already started your
application

In addition, proof of financial

stability is o en required as
well. This can include bank
statements, one-year living
worth of cost, a source of
income, employment
paystubs, and more. Consult
your university of choice for
more information regarding
these documents.

If you are applying for a

doctorate, tuition fees are
not charged even if you are
an international student.

3. Apply for Scholarships

Unfortunately, it is harder to
avoid tuition fees if you are a
non-EU or EEA citizen.
International fees apply, but
not to worry – there are tons
of online scholarships you
can apply so that you can
study in Finland for free. To
apply for scholarships, refer
directly to the university’s
websites to see which
scholarships you are eligible
for. For example, on the
University of Helsinki’s
website, they take you on a
step-by-step guide to
applying for scholarships if
you are a non-EU/EEA or
Swiss citizen. On their
website specifically, they
specify that for a Master’s
program, your scholarship
application can be the exact
same as your Master’s
application. Bear in mind
that most of the time,
scholarships are awarded
based on academic merit.
Scholarships are usually
applied for in conjunction
with your degree or program
application.