Subsistence

The study grant is a part of the student aid you receive. Usually, you can get 9 months of student aid a year. However, if you study during the summer, you can also apply for student aid for the summer months. If you are the guardian of a minor, you will also receive the provider supplement of the study grant. The number of children or who the child(ren) live(s) with does not affect the size of the study grant.  

If you have any other income besides the study grant, you will need to take the study grant into account in taxation. Make sure that your study grant and other income remain under the income limit shown on your tax card or, if needed, order a new tax card.

The Incomes Register is a database containing your up-to-date income information. You can check your earned income as well as the taxes and fees deducted from it through the service. The Incomes Register helps you monitor your own income and the income limits of student aid, for instance.

The available number of months of student aid is limited, and the months have been split between bachelor’s and master’s degrees. The number of months of aid at your disposal depends on when you started your studies. You can check the maximum periods of eligibility here. If needed, you can apply for an extension to your student aid in case your study progress was slowed down by a particularly good reason. If you are applying for an extension for completing a bachelor’s degree, the additional months of aid will not be deducted from the months of aid reserved for your master’s degree.

Kela annually monitors the study progress of students who receive student aid. If you have received student aid, you must earn an average of 5 credits for each month of student aid and always at least 20 credits in total during the academic year. The minimum requirement of 20 credits is in effect even if you have received student aid for just one month. Kela does not monitor completed courses for individual months, which means that the decisive factor is the total number of credits accumulated throughout the year. Completing a degree always means that your study progress has been sufficient – in this case, you do not need to worry about whether you have enough credits.

If you receive a study grant from Kela, you will also get the government guarantee for a student loan. The student loan is a loan guaranteed by the government. You will have to pay it back. You can take out the student loan in proportion to your months of student aid, generally 9 months a year. If you receive student aid during the summer, you can also take out a student loan during the summer. The amount of government guarantee for the student loan is higher when studying abroad.  

If you receive a study grant from Kela, you will also get the government guarantee for a student loan. The student loan is a loan guaranteed by the government. You will have to pay it back. You can take out the student loan in proportion to your months of student aid, generally 9 months a year. If you receive student aid during the summer, you can also take out a student loan during the summer. The amount of government guarantee for the student loan is higher when studying abroad. 

Your bank gets your information directly from Kela, but you need to apply for the loan from the bank yourself. You can apply for the loan from your own bank or compare the options offered by different banks. When comparing options, we recommend paying particular attention to the margin asked by the bank.

Student loan is not returned even when you return your study grant voluntarily. The loan is paid back after graduation. If you wish to take out a student loan but cancel the months of student aid to save them, you should first take out the loan and then cancel the desired months of aid afterwards.

Agree on the interest payable on the loan and the repayment schedule with the bank. Repayment usually begins two years after graduation. If you have problems with repayment, contact your bank well in advance. People with low income can also apply for Kela’s interest assistance for paying the interests of the loan.

If you complete your degree in target time, you may be eligible for Kela’s student loan compensation. It is only available for your first degree. When you have completed your bachelor’s degree, you should consider whether you believe you will complete your master’s degree in target time, too, and whether you should finance some of your master’s studies with the student loan or use the compensation earlier. Use Kela’s calculators to help you with the decision.

Payment default entries no longer prevent you from receiving the government guarantee, but the bank may still decide not to grant the guarantee because of the entry.

If you are enrolled in higher education and you cannot make progress in your studies because you are ill, you should consider not using your remaining student financial aid months. You have a limited amount of financial aid months. It may be a better option for you to take sick leave and get sickness allowance instead.

Students’ housing costs are supported by the housing supplement of student aid. You can get the housing supplement if you are entitled to student aid and live on rent or in a right-of-residence apartment. The benefit is personal even if you live with a partner or roommate. Receiving the housing supplement is tied to your months of student aid. This means that receiving the housing supplement also uses up your months of aid. 

The housing supplement of student aid has categories for different municipalities, which means that the amount of housing supplement you receive depends on your municipality of residence. The amount of the supplement is a maximum of 80% of your rent or the maintenance charge of your right-of-residence apartment. The amount of your supplement is smaller if you live in an apartment owned by or rented from your parents. 

Your income is monitored for the housing supplement of student aid the same way as for student aid. The student aid has an annual income limit that depends on the number of months of student aid you have received. If you are about to exceed your annual income limit, you will have to remember to return or cancel your entire student aid yourself. No taxes are paid on the housing supplement – it is non-taxable income. 

If you live with your own or your partner’s children or receive some other benefit than student aid, you are covered by general housing allowance. General housing allowance is available throughout the year and is not tied to the number of your months of student aid. However, please note that general housing allowance is a household-based benefit, and you must inform Kela if your income changes.  

If you are covered by the housing supplement of student aid, you are not eligible for general housing allowance even during the summer if your studies continue in the autumn. 

The housing supplement of student aid is also available for living costs abroad for the duration of an exchange, for instance. However, you cannot simultaneously receive the housing supplement for an apartment in Finland.