How to apply for financial aid

1. Apply for financial aid online. Please note that the e-service is available in Finnish and Swedish only.
2. Scan or take a photo of supporting documents and send them online.
3. Visit our e-service to see if your application has been decided, how much you will get and when you will be paid. You can also see any possible reminders concerning, for instance, documents missing from your application. A written decision on your application will be sent to you by post. If you are under 18, Kela will communicate the decision also to your legal guardian.
4. If you live and study in Finland, check if you can get general housing allowance. It must be claimed separately.

Alternatively, you can complete and print out an application for financial aid. Mail your application along with the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA.

If you are a EU citizen and you do not have Finnish online banking credentials, you can use eIDAS identification when contacting Kela. Read the instructions for how EU citizens can log in to and handle Kela-related matters in the e-service.

• If you are in secondary education or in adult basic education, complete the application for financial aid (OT 1e, PDF) intended for students of vocational institutes, upper secondary schools and folk high schools.
  • If you are doing a dual degree combining a basic vocational qualification with upper secondary school for adults, submit a financial aid application for vocational education. Apply for financial aid for the upper secondary school only in the event that you have not yet completed upper secondary school when you earn the basic vocational qualification.
  • If you are doing a dual degree combining a basic vocational qualification with regular upper secondary school, you can apply for financial aid for either programme.
• If you are in higher education, complete the application for financial aid (OT 2e, PDF) for students of universities and universities of applied sciences.
• If you are completing a degree abroad, complete the application for financial aid (OT 3e, PDF) for students completing a degree abroad.
• If you move, remember to submit a permanent or temporary notification of move to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.
• If you are under 18 years of age, you can either apply for financial aid yourself or your legal guardian can do it on your behalf. You can also complete and sign the application together. However, your legal guardian cannot file an online application through Kela’s e-services on your behalf. Although you are minor, you may be able to get your own online bank ID and password or a mobile ID, which will allow you to sign in to Kela’s e-services. You should agree on this with your guardian and with your bank or telecommunications service provider.
• If you wish to apply for a loan guarantee for adult students, complete the form titled Aikuiskoulutustukeen liittyvä opintolainan valtiontakaushakemus (OT 12, PDF, available in Finnish and Swedish only). Mail your application along with the supporting documents to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA or append it to the application for adult education allowance you submit to the Employment Fund.
• If you are a permanent resident of the Åland Islands, apply to Ålands arbetsmarknads- och studieservicemyndighet (ams.ax) for financial aid.

If you are in higher education and receive a study grant, you will automatically be given a government loan guarantee for a student loan. If you are in secondary education or in adult basic education, you can apply for a loan guarantee at the same time when you apply for a study grant. Once you have been given a loan guarantee, you can apply for a student loan at a bank of your choice.

When to apply and what to enclose with your application

Apply for financial aid when you have gained admission to a school. Kela is notified of admissions to Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences as well as to upper secondary school and institutes of vocational education that participate in the joint application system. If you attend one of these schools, you can apply for financial aid when your school shows up on the precompleted online application for financial aid. It will then be easier to complete the application and you will receive a decision sooner. However, you can still apply for student financial aid even if your place of study does not show in the online application.

The earliest that you can get financial aid is the beginning of the month of application. However, you can make additions to your application later on for example by sending supporting documentation.

Check e-services to see if your application for financial aid must be accompanied by supporting documents. The necessary documents are also listed on the paper application form. Applications for financial aid usually do not require any supporting documentation.

Apply for the entire course of study at the same time. That way financial aid will continue to paid automatically for example after the summer break.

If you have applied for a benefit that disqualifies you for financial aid, wait for a decision on that application. If your application is turned down, you can get financial aid from the beginning of the month in which you applied for the disqualifying benefit. Apply for financial aid as soon as you have received a decision on the disqualifying benefit, or in any case within 6 months.

Report changes

Remember to report all changes in your circumstances to Kela so that benefits can be paid to correctly. The payment of benefits is affected by such things as leaving your course of study, moving away from your parent, or receiving some other social benefit. You can report changes through our e-services, by phone or in person at any Kela's customer service point. If you move, remember to report this also to the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

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