Academy of Fine Arts’ bachelor’s and master’s thesis grant
You can apply for the Academy of Fine Arts’ bachelor’s and master’s thesis grant to cover costs arising from creating your thesis. You cannot use the thesis grant to cover general living expenses.
The amount of the grant for fine arts bachelor’s degree is € 200, and for fine arts master’s degree € 500.
The Fine Arts bachelor’s and master’s thesis grant can be applied for to cover the costs associated with creating the artistic part of the thesis
The Academy of Fine Arts reserves the right to reclaim the thesis grant if it has been used for purposes other than those specified or if no report has been submitted as instructed on its use.
One cannot use the thesis grant to cover general living expenses.
You can apply for the grant for the following purposes:
- production and material expenses incurred in creating the artistic part the thesis
- acquiring necessary equipment or tools, if renting or borrowing is not reasonably possible
- travel and accommodation expenses if the trip is closely linked to the artistic part of the thesis
- purchase of services (the service provider invoices for the work done)
- remuneration paid for external contributors/assistants, if the applicant is responsible for employer obligations, such as withholding of tax and indirect costs
- please note that if you apply for the grant to cover remuneration, it is your personal responsibility to take care of the general employer obligations, including withholding of tax and indirect costs. The Academy of Fine Arts does not offer guidance in how to pay for employer obligations; the recipient must personally look into them.
No grants will be awarded for following purposes:
- general living expenses
- travelling or daily allowances
Application period
Grants are paid two times a year, in the autumn and in the spring. Applying periods will be informed via e-mail separately. After applying the grant will be paid on a specie payment date into your bank account once your thesis plan has been approved. You need to present a plan on how you will use the money before the grant is paid to you (for example, the distribution of costs).
How to report on the use of the grant
Report on how the grant was used before the public exhibition of the thesis project ends. Make the report based on the plan you presented on the use of the grant. Your report should include an account (in writing and in numbers) of what the thesis grant was used for and the actual distribution of costs. You don’t need to send the receipts with your report, but you need to keep them and present them if requested. Keep all the receipts until you have received your degree certificate. Deliver your report as one PDF file to Producer by e-mail. Detailed instructions are emailed to grant recipients.
The Academy of Fine Arts has the right to recover the thesis grant paid to you if you have used it for purposes other than the one specified or if you have not provided a report on the use of the grant as instructed.
Retroactive payment of thesis grants
Paying the thesis grant directly into your bank account may affect any social assistance or Kela’s annual income limit. In this case, you may receive your thesis grant retroactively in the form of cost compensations by presenting the receipts.
You may receive the thesis grant payment retroactively if you so wish:
- When applying for the grant please start that you wish to have the grant reimbursed.
- Deliver the receipts to the producer with a one-time supplier form as one PDF file. You can deliver the receipts for costs up to € 200 at a time.
- The receipts must be dated after the approval of your thesis plan and before the public exhibition of your thesis project.
- Deliver the receipts by the end of the public exhibition. If you have worked on the artistic part over multiple years, deliver each year’s receipts by the end of November.
- You can also ask the producer or technicians about the possibility of ordering materials with a purchase permit (min € 100) or through the school, in which case the invoice for the procurements will be sent directly to Uniarts Helsinki. Always make an agreement beforehand. Staying within budget is your responsibility.