How to reply to a request for further information
This is what to do if you get a request for information about your study progress:
- Check that all the study credits you have earned have been entered into your study record at the institutions where you have studied.
- Reply to the request in OmaKela under Ilmoita muutoksista (Report changes).
- If you are a higher education student, select the following in OmaKela: Ilmoita muutoksista (Report changes) - Opiskelu (Studies) - Opintotuki - ilmoita muutoksista (Student financial aid - report changes) - Vastaus opintojen edistymisen seurannan selvityspyyntöön (Reply to the request for information about academic progress).
- If you are a student in secondary education, select the following in OmaKela: Ilmoita muutoksista (Report changes) – Opiskelu (Studies) - Opintotuki (Student financial aid) - Vastaus opintojen edistymisen seurannan selvityspyyntöön (2. aste) (Reply to the request for information about academic progress (upper secondary level)).
- In your reply, list any credits that may be missing from your study record.
- Tell us why your studies have not progressed sufficiently.
Alternatively, you can reply on a form on our website, then print it out.
- Reply to the request for information about academic progress OT 31e (pdf)
- Reply to request for information about academic progress OT 28Le (pdf).
Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
Instructions for students in upper secondary education on checking their study record
Check that all the courses you have completed have been entered into your study record at the institutions where you have studied. When monitoring your study progress, we look at your academic progress in the previous academic year (1 August–31 July).
If you are currently part way through completing a study module (for example a part of vocational qualifications) that does not yet show up in the study record, reply to the information request and provide information about the unfinished study module. You do not have to include any documentation from your school.
If you have failed some studies, reply to the information request and include documentation from your school about them.
If you have completed studies during a study exchange period abroad that have been recognised as counting towards your Finnish general upper secondary studies, reply to the information request and include documentation from your school showing the recognised studies.
If you studied to complete a specific module between 1 August–31 July that was not entered into the study record until after 31 July, reply to the information request and list the studies you completed. You do not have to include any documentation from your school.
If you have taken matriculation examination tests, reply to the request for further information, stating that you have participated in matriculation examination tests. You do not have to include any documentation from your school.
If courses you have completed are missing from your study record, ask your school to add the missing courses to the record. Reply to the request for further information and state that credits you have earned are missing from the study record. You do not have to include any documentation from your school.
Instructions for students in higher education on checking study credits
Check that all the study credits you have earned have been entered into your study record at the institutions of higher education where you have studied. When monitoring your academic progress, we look at your academic progress in the previous academic year (1 August–31 July) and, when necessary, your academic progress during the whole period of study.
If any credits you have earned are missing from the study record, ask your educational institution to enter them into the record for the academic year in which you earned them.
Reply to the request for information and provide information on the studies that are missing from your study record, how many credits are missing and when you completed them. Also provide details about the extent and completion dates of any credits that have been registered to a different academic year than the one in which you completed them. We will check the information you provide in your reply against the VIRTA database if your studies were completed at a Finnish institution of higher education.
If you are working on a large study module (such as a thesis) that does not show up in the study record, enclose an estimate from your teacher or a certificate on partial completion indicating how many credits you have earned by 31 July towards completion of the module. If you have studied at a Finnish institution of higher education, if necessary you can complete and print out the form Notification of partially completed study module OT 17e (pdf).
If you have credits from a foreign institution of higher education that you want to count towards your study progress, enclose a certificate of them.
If you study abroad and want us to take into account your previous studies in Finland, please let us know. Please note that we will then also take into account the months of financial aid that you have used for these studies.
If you have credits from the National Defence University or Högskolan på Åland that you want to count towards your study progress, enclose a certificate of them.
Please note that we will then also take into account the months of financial aid that you have used for these studies.
If you have credits from a Finnish institution of higher education that you have earned before 1 August 2011 and that you want to count towards your study progress, provide details about them in your reply. You do not need to provide a certificate of these studies because we will check them against the VIRTA database.
Please note that we will then also take into account the months of financial aid that you have used for these studies.
Explain why you have not made sufficient progress with your studies
If the reason you have completed insufficient study credits is illness or a difficult life situation, you should explain how your circumstances have affected your study progress. Also tell us whether this situation still affects your study progress.
If possible, enclose documents such as a medical certificate or an extract from MyKanta (kanta.fi) (e.g. a photograph or a screenshot) with your reply. If you have already sent a medical certificate, you do not have to send a new one.
If you are in higher education and you have switched to a new course of study, explain why you ended your previous course of study and how the switch has affected your study progress. You do not have to send documentation about your course change.
Returning financial aid for higher education when you have already received a request for information
If you return financial aid for students after you have received a letter requesting information on your academic progress, you must reply to the letter and tell us that you have returned financial aid.
You will no longer be able to return student financial aid for the autumn term of the preceding year after you have received a request for information on your academic progress, because the closing date for voluntary repayment of student financial aid has passed. For example, in autumn 2024, you will no longer be able to pay back financial aid for the autumn term 2023. You can, however, still pay back student financial aid for the spring term of 2024.
What to do if you are studying abroad
If you are studying abroad and you get a request for information about your study progress, you can reply with a message in OmaKela (available in Finnish and Swedish only) and send any supporting documents by selecting Lähetä liite (Send a supporting document) on the front page in OmaKela. Alternatively, you can use the form that comes enclosed with the request for information. Send the form and any supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.
If you are studying abroad and have not yet sent a certificate of your studies to Kela, send it by selecting Lähetä liite (Send a supporting document) on the front page in OmaKela. Send an updated certificate if you have submitted a certificate of study earlier but it does not show all your completed courses. Kela does not automatically receive any information on your studies abroad.
What happens if you do not reply to the information request?
If you do not reply or if the reasons you provide for your lack of study progress are not accepted, we may have to discontinue your financial aid. If it is necessary to monitor your study progress particularly closely, we may have to change your financial aid to be paid out for a specified period of time only.
We may also require you to pay back financial aid if you have earned particularly few credits and you never intended to study, for instance if you are working instead.