The Government proposes changes to the provider supplement to the study grant and to the student loan

The Government proposes changes to the student financial aid. According to the Government proposal, the amount of the provider supplement to the study grant and the government guarantee for student loans would be increased and the number of disbursements of student loan funds would be changed. The changes are intended to take effect in stages during 2024.

The Government proposes changes to the provider supplement to the study grant paid by Kela and to the government guarantee for student loans.

According to the Government proposal, the provider supplement to the study grant would be increased by a total of 30 euros. In practice, the change would be 20 euros compared to the current amount, because a temporary increase of 10 euros has been paid to the provider supplement in 2023. The new amount would be 141.63 euros per month.

The Government also proposes that the amounts of government-guaranteed student loans would be raised from 650 to 850 euros per month (for students who are studying in Finland) and from 800 to 1,000 euros (for students studying abroad). For students under 18 in upper secondary education, the maximum student loan amount would go up from 300 to 400 euros per month. In addition, the number of disbursements of student loan funds would be changed, so that student loan funds would be made available for students in secondary education in four disbursements over the academic year regardless of the duration of the studies.  

The Government proposal aims to support the income of students and full-time studies.

The Government proposal is linked to the supplementary Government budget proposal for 2024, and the changes are intended to take effect in stages during 2024. The change to the provider supplement to the study grant is intended to take effect on 1 January 2024 and the changes to student loans on 1 August 2024.

Kela will provide further information as the review of the Government proposal progresses in Parliament.

Additional information for customers

• Press release of the Ministry of Education and Culture 2 November 2023: Opintolainan valtiontakauksen määrää korotetaan (okm.fi, in Finnish)
• Government proposal 80/2023: Government proposal for the amendment of the Act on Student Financial Aid (eduskunta.fi, in Finnish)
• Financial aid for students (kela.fi)
• All press releases about the changes to the social security benefits are available at Changes to social security benefits