Tuition fees

The instruction belongs to the following themes

By selecting a degree programme you are able to see the general content as well as the possible degree programme-specific content. You do not have to select a degree programme to see the Open University's instructions.

If you are liable to pay for tuition, this page is for you. You can find the payment instructions and all other relevant information for the first academic year from the University’s website. The second-year tuition fees are to be paid by the end of August. If you cannot find an answer to your question here below, please send a message to international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi.

General

  • Students who are on their second study year or beyond can pay their tuition fee for the whole academic year, or per term. The academic year consists of two academic terms: the autumn term and spring term. The tuition fee for one term is half of the tuition fee for the whole academic year.
    • If a student pays the tuition fee for only the autumn term, they will be registered as attending for the autumn term and non-attending for the spring term.
  • The amount of the tuition fee is fixed and is not affected by how many credits you complete. In other words, a student can complete as many credits as they wish during one term. 
  • A student’s liability to pay for tuition is tied to the student’s study language and the degree programme. If a student changes their study language from English to Finnish or Swedish, they will no longer be liable to pay for tuition. However, at the same time they will also lose their potential scholarships. The same applies if a student changes to a non-paying degree programme. 
  • If you wish to make any changes to your registration status (e.g. changing attendance to non-attendance), please contact the Student Services at international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi before 31 August for the autumn term and 15 January for the spring term. 

Tuition fee payment for second and following academic years

Students must pay their tuition fee for the consequent year of study before they can register as attending. Once the tuition fee has been received, International Student Advice will be able to update your status as attending within one week. You do not need to pay separately for the membership fee for the Student Union (HYY) as it is included in the tuition fee. 

The tuition fee is to be paid using the Flywire service portal. Starting from spring 2024, the University of Helsinki is no longer sending invoices by email. Instead, students must pay the tuition fee online. In partnership with the University of Helsinki, Flywire is an easy-to-use payment solution that provides international students with a streamlined payment experience, saving time and money:

Flywire Logo set next to text reading pay now with Flywire.

 

Academic registration as a tuition fee liable student is tied to the tuition fee payment. If a student pays the tuition fee for only the autumn term, they will only be registered as attending for the autumn term and non-attending for the spring term, and vice versa. 

The deadline for tuition fee payments for the whole academic year is 31 August. After this date a re-enrolment fee of 35€ will be assigned to you.

The deadlines for tuition fee payments per term are 31 August for the Autumn term and 15 January for the Spring term. After these dates a re-enrolment fee of 35€ will be assigned to you.

If you need to pay a custom amount or wish to register as non-attending for the whole academic year, please contact international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi

Starting from the autumn term 2023, the healthcare fee is no longer included in the tuition fee or scholarships covering the tuition fee. Tuition fee liable students need to pay the healthcare fee themselves to Kela (link to Kela website).

These same rules apply if you are delayed in your studies and must study for an additional academic year to graduate. You can register as attending for the following autumn term, in which case you must pay half of the annual tuition fee. The fee will be charged by term until you have completed the degree.

Scholarships awarded for the first and second year of a master's programme

The instructions in this paragraph concern scholarships that cover either 50% or 100% of the tuition fee, as well as Finland Scholarships. These scholarships are granted only when you are accepted to the University or when you continue from the Bachelor's degree Programme in Science to a master's degree at the University of Helsinki.

  • In order to renew your grant for the second study year, you must earn 55 credits during your first study year. The academic year ends on 31 July. This is the only requirement for receiving the grant. Only new credits that have been earned during the Student’s first study year at the University of Helsinki are included in the 55 credits. Transferred credits from previous studies cannot be included.
  • Those who received a 100% tuition fee covering scholarship or Finland Scholarship:
    • When you have earned the 55 credits, send a message to international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi to notify us and we will then register you as attending for the upcoming academic year. Please do not send a transcript of records, we will check your data directly from Sisu. 
    • Please notify International Student Advice about your earned credits as soon as possible, but latest on 2 September, when the registration period closes. After this date a re-enrolment fee of 35€ will be assigned to you.
  • Those who received a 50% tuition fee covering scholarship:
    • When you have paid half of the tuition fee and earned the 55 credits, send a message to international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi to notify us and we will then register you as attending for the upcoming academic year. Please do not send a transcript of records, we will check your data directly from Sisu.
    • The deadline for the payment is 31 August 2024. Please notify us about the 55 credits earned and completed payment as soon as possible, but latest on 2 September 2024. After this date a re-enrolment fee of 35€ will be assigned to you. 
  • These scholarships are granted only for two academic years. You do not need to earn a certain amount of credits during your second study year. However, if you do not graduate within two academic years and need to complete credits during a third study year, you will need to pay for tuition for each additional term.

Dean's Awards

Each International Master's Programme can award one Dean's Award to a tuition fee liable student for outstanding study performance during the student's first study year. The Dean's Award is worth 1000€ and will be paid to the student's Finnish bank account at the end of the autumn of their second study year, provided the student is registered as attending. There is no application process for this award, degree programmes choose their grantee in August after the first study year.

The Bachelor's Programme in Science can award one Dean's Award to:

  • one student on their first study year (grant paid on the second study year) for outstanding study performance during the student's first study year
  • one student on their second study year (paid on the third study year) for outstanding study performance during the student's first and second study years.

Waiving tuition fees for one semester for the purpose of thesis processing and graduation

Usually, in order to graduate during the scheduled final term, the thesis must be submitted approximately two months before the end of the term, around May/October. However, to ensure that tuition fee liable students can make use of their whole final term, they have the option to complete courses and submit their thesis until the very end of the term (31 July/31 December). This however means, due to the University's processing times, the graduation will take place only during the next term. Students must be registered as attending in order to graduate; therefore, the University has created the option to register as attending for an extra term by only paying the membership fee of HYY so that they are formally attending and can get their diploma. 

This special right does not entitle the student to attend any courses or complete any studies, including working on their thesis, during the waived term. 

Requirements to be granted this special right: 

  • Have completed all other credits and submitted their thesis by the end of the ongoing term that they are currently registered as attending. Deadlines for completing course work and submitting the thesis are 31 July for the spring term, and 31 December for the autumn term. Please note that these dates are valid only for being granted the special right, they are not conforming to your degree programme’s thesis submission deadlines.  
  • The submitted thesis must be final – if the student is unhappy with the grade received and requests the suspension of the grading process in order to edit and resubmit the thesis, they must pay the tuition fee for the term. 
  • Be registered as attending when submitting their thesis. 

  • Submit a graduation request at the earliest opportunity during the term for which their tuition fee is being waived. 
  • Not take any courses during the term for which their tuition is being waived (except for the Maturity Test 0 CR, or defending the thesis). This includes rewriting the thesis after the scores have been processed. If you are found to have completed courses during the additional term or editing your thesis for resubmission, you will be charged the full tuition fee for that term.  

Students may take an aptitude test or present their dissertation during the additional term if it is required. Thesis supervisor(s) are not required to guide the student any longer than they would have without the student having this right. This means that if your faculty’s last thesis submission date for graduating in the spring term is in May, your thesis supervisor is not required to guide you after this date. 

How to Apply: 

  • Please send an e-mail to international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi. requesting for the special right of an extra term by only paying the Student Union membership fee. 
  • Your degree programme and thesis supervisor will then be contacted to see if your plans to graduate and submit your thesis by the end of the ongoing term are realistic. International Student Advice must receive a positive decision from the degree programme in order to grant you the right. 
  • Once you have been granted the right, you will be sent instructions on how to pay the Student Union’s (HYY) membership fee. 

If you are granted this right and your residence permit is expiring, please apply for an extension to your residence permit for studies for half a year. 

Examples: 

Student A is planning on graduating during the spring term, but realises they cannot submit their thesis on time for their programme's last submission date of the spring term. If the student misses this date, they will not graduate during the spring term. The student is able, however, to submit their thesis before the end of the spring term (31 July) and will also have completed all their courses by then. 
-> The student is eligible for the right to register as attending for the autumn term by paying only the membership fee of the Student Union for the purpose of graduating. 

Student B has completed all their courses but had not finished their thesis. They cannot submit their thesis on time for their programme's last submission date of the spring term but will also not be able to submit it by the end of the spring, 31 July. 
-> The student will need to pay the tuition fee for the autumn term. 

Student C has submitted their thesis and completed all their credits on time for their programme's last submission date of the spring term. They received their thesis score and wanted to make changes to their thesis for a higher score in the autumn term. 
-> The student will need to pay the tuition fee for the autumn term. 

Student D has completed all their courses and submitted their thesis before the 31st of December and was granted the right. The student then decided to request the suspension of the grading process to work on their thesis. 

-> The student will lose their right and will need to pay the tuition fee for the Spring term. 

Non-attendance

If you wish to register as non-attending for the whole academic year, please contact international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi. Please note that if you are registered as non-attending, you cannot attend classes or complete studies at the University of Helsinki. We will also inform your programme of your non-attendance. It is also likely that your non-attendance will affect your application for extending your residence permit. Please note that if you were awarded a grant such as the Dean’s Award you must register as attending for the whole academic year.

Cancelling your registration

You can cancel your registration by contacting the Student Services at international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi. To cancel your registration for the autumn term or the entire academic year, contact the Student Services by 2 September 2024. Registrations for the spring term must be cancelled by 15 January.

Exemption from paying tuition fees

When do I not need to pay tuition fees? 

When does my residence permit need to be valid? 

  • Documents stating that a student is not liable to pay tuition fees must be valid when the term starts on 1 August/1 January.  
  • If your document is valid e.g., until October, you are not liable to pay the tuition fee for the fall term. If your document is valid e.g., until March, you are not liable to pay the fee for the spring term either.  
  • Please send a picture of your residence permit to international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi.s (.s is for secure mail) well before the beginning of the academic term for which you wish to be exempted from paying tuition fees.  
  • NB! Please note that having a pending application for an exempting residence permit is not sufficient for not having to pay the tuition fee. Always apply for an extension to your current residence permit as early as possible as the handling of applications at Migri can take several months. 

What if I do not receive a decision of my exempting residence permit on time? 

  • If you have applied for an extension of your current residence permit on time, i.e. three months before it expires, but have not received a decision from Migri in time to be exempt for the coming term, you can either register as a non-attending student or pay the tuition fee. If Migri then grants you an extension of your exempting residence permit, which is valid during the term for which you have paid the tuition fee, the University can refund the full amount of the tuition fee.
    • Example 1: A student's A residence permit, granted based on work, expired on 2 March and granted them an exemption from tuition fees until 31 July. They have applied for an extension of the permit but have not yet received the decision. They pay for the autumn term and later on receive Migri’s decision that they have been granted an extension starting from 25 July.  They are thus retroactively exempted also from the autumn term, which begins on 1 August and the University can refund the tuition fee to the student. 
    • Example 2: A student's A residence permit, granted based on work, expired on 2 March and grants them an exemption from tuition fees until 31 July. They have applied for an extension of the permit, which becomes valid on 15 September. They are thus not exempted from the autumn term and need to either pay the tuition fee or register as non-attending for that term. 
  • If you applied for a new type of residence permit before the previous residence permit expired but have not received a decision from Migri in time to be exempt for the coming term, you can either register as a non-attending student or pay the tuition fee. If Migri then grants you the new type of exempting residence permit, which becomes valid before the term for which you paid the tuition fee, the University can refund the full amount of the tuition fee.
    • Example 1: A student's A residence permit, granted based on work, expired on 2 March and granted them an exemption from tuition fees until 31 July. They have applied for a P permit but have not yet received the decision. They pay for the autumn term and later on receive Migri’s decision that they have been granted a P permit starting from 25 July.  They are thus retroactively exempted also from the autumn term, which begins on 1 August and the University can refund the tuition fee to the student. 
    • Example 2: a student's A residence permit, granted based on work, expired on 2 March and grants them an exemption from tuition fees until 31 July. They have applied for a P permit, which becomes valid on 15 September. They are thus not exempted from the autumn term and need to either pay the tuition fee or register as non-attending for that term. 

Reimbursement

Tuition fees are reimbursed per academic year or academic term. If a student has begun studying at the University of Helsinki in the autumn term, only the spring term can be reimbursed. 

You can claim a refund of the tuition fee from the Student Services by 30 September/31 January. Please note that the University withholds 300€ from all reimbursements to cover administrative costs.  

The tuition fee can be reimbursed if 

  • a conditionally admitted student fails to meet the conditions for admission within the allocated time, 

  • a student’s application for a residence permit is rejected, 

  • the residence permit status of a student who has accepted a place changes before registration so that he or she is no longer liable to pay a tuition fee, 

  • the degree programme is not offered, or a force majeure event occurs, 

  • a student cancels the registration as attending and claims the refund on time. 

If a student graduates before the target duration of the degree has expired, i.e. in the second autumn of the master’s degree or third autumn of bachelor’s degree, he or she will be reimbursed for the tuition fee of the spring term. In such a case the 300€ for administrative costs will not be withheld. A student in such a situation should contact the Student Services at international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi as soon as possible.

Impact of Brexit on tuition fees

Continuing UK degree students are exempt from paying tuition fees even after January 1, 2021 as long as they change their EU registration in Finland to EU right-to-residence in accordance with the withdrawal agreement (with Migri). Apply for the change of status between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. The University of Helsinki however strongly recommends that you apply for it before July 31, 2021 so that you will be exempt from tuition fees for the whole autumn term 2021. A proof of right of residence, or a proof that you have applied for it (from Migri) is sufficient for exemption. Please send the proof of your right of residence or proof of your application to international-studentinfo@helsinki.fi as soon as possible. 

New UK degree students who arrive in Finland after December 31, 2020 are liable to full tuition fee and residence permit requirements like other non-EU/EEA students. The full tuition fee liability also opens the possibility to apply for University of Helsinki scholarships.