There have been changes to the Universities Act as of 1.12.2024
The tuition fee for bachelor’s and master’s students starting their studies on or after 1.8.2026 must cover the costs of arranging the education
The university must charge an annual tuition fee from non-EU and non-EEA students studying for a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in a foreign language that covers at least the costs of arranging the education. The University’s annual tuition fee income is intended to cover the costs of arranging education for students who are obliged to pay tuition fees.
The amount of the tuition fee for those starting on 1.8.2026 or later will be confirmed at Uniarts Helsinki soon, and more news will be provided on it during next year.
Uniarts Helsinki’s Board will confirm the tuition fee for students starting their studies on 1.8.2026 or later. More information will be provided after that.
This change to the tuition fee only applies to students starting their studies on or after 1.8.2026.
Changes to the exemption from the obligation to pay tuition fees
In future, tuition fees will not have to be paid if the person is under temporary protection.
Even if the type of a person’s residence permit changes from a continuous residence permit granted on the basis of studies to a continuous residence permit granted on the basis of something else, the person will still be liable to pay tuition fees if their first residence permit was granted on the basis of studies.
Other documents exempting students from tuition fees will remain unchanged. Temporary permits continue to exempt from the fee only during their validity period
Application fee to be introduced from the joint application period in spring 2025
The Act stipulates that, in future, an application fee will be collected from non-EU/EEA citizens or comparable citizens applying for degree studies at higher education institutions (excl. postgraduate degrees and Erasmus Mundus programmes).
The Finnish National Agency for Education collects the application fee using the Studyinfo application form when applying. Application fees will be introduced for applications starting on or after 1.1.2025 or later for training starting on or after 1.8.2025. The amount of the application fee is issued by a separate decree, but it will be around 100 €. More information on the application fee is available from the Finnish National Agency for Education.
Link to the Universities Act (in Finnish): https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/ajantasa/2009/20090558