Student Support and Benefits
We are dedicated to ensuring that you have everything you need for a successful student life. We understand that student life can be challenging and financially tight, but with the right support, you can thrive. On this page, you’ll find resources to help you advance your studies and take advantage of student discounts—all in one place to ease your journey.
- Study support
- Student benefits
Student support
Student support is designed to ensure your livelihood during your studies and includes study grants, caregiver increases, study material supplements, state guarantees for student loans, and housing supplements. The amount of study grant depends on several factors, such as your age, educational institution, housing situation (independently or living with your parents), civil status, and any children you may have. In some cases, your parents’ income may also affect the amount of student support you receive.
If you are the guardian of a child under 18, you can receive a caregiver increase in addition to the study grant. You can check the amount of student support and your eligibility for it using Kela’s calculator.
To receive the study grant, you must make progress in your studies: an average of 5 credit points per support month and at least 20 credit points per academic year. More information can be found here. The study grant is applied for through Kela’s e-service and is generally granted to higher education students for nine months during the academic year (September to May).
Student benefits
Student discounts provide numerous opportunities to save on everyday expenses, and various organizations are involved in promoting students’ rights. SAMOK, the Union of Finnish Student Unions, is responsible for the rights of polytechnic students, while SYL, the National Union of University Students in Finland, takes care of university students’ interests. These organizations continuously work to ensure that students receive the necessary support and benefits during their studies.
In Finland, student discounts are widely available across various services. The Frank.fi service offers student discounts nationwide and the option to order a student card. Slice.fi serves as a student benefits platform and provides a digital student card, while UNiDAYS offers quick and free digital student benefits and exclusive offers. For students in the Helsinki metropolitan area, Slicepkseutu.fi provides local student benefits worth utilizing.
Student discounts cover many aspects of life, such as public transport, restaurants, cafes, and shops. Movie theaters, museums, cultural events, gyms, and travel companies often offer reduced prices with a student card. It is essential to take full advantage of the benefits provided by the student card and check the discounts offered by various service providers to save money during your studies.
