A Guide to Tuition Free Universities and Scholarships in Finland

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Why study in Finland as an international student? The Finnish education system is regarded one of the best in the world and Finnish Universities offer about 450 international programmes in English.  Finland is also one of the few remaining countries in the world where tuition fee is free for everyone including international students.  The Finnish Government also offers doctoral scholarships for international students.

Higher education in Finland is supported by the Finnish government, which means that both Finnish and international students can pursue higher education degrees, free of charge. However, living costs and other study costs (student union fee, books) are the responsibility of the student.

If you are an international student enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Doctoral level programme, the higher education institution will not charge tuition fees. Most Master’s level programmes are free of charge as well, however, a number of them may carry tuition fees for non-EU/EEA students during a five-year trial period 2010â€"2014. As the trial period has passed, Finnish universities will not charge tuition fees for Master’s level programmes, starting in autumn 2015, except for certain programmes.

See the list of all Finnish institutions of higher education that offers tuition fee programmes:

Finnish Government Scholarship Pool
The Finnish Government offers scholarships of 3-9 months for Doctoral level studies and research in all academic fields at Finnish universities or public research institutes. The scholarship cannot be applied for Master’s level studies or post-Doctoral studies/research.  The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool programme is open to young researchers from Australia, China, Cuba, Egypt, India, Israel, Japan, Mexico, Mongolia, Namibia, Republic of Korea, Turkey, Ukraine, and USA. The scholarship includes a monthly allowance of EUR 1500.

CIMO Doctoral Fellowships in Finland
The CIMO Fellowships programme is open to young Doctoral level students and researchers from all countries and from all academic fields who wish to pursue their Doctorate (or Double Doctorate) at a Finnish university. Master’s level studies or post-doctoral studies/research are not supported in the programme.  The scholarship period may vary from 3 to 12 months. The monthly allowance is worth EUR 1,500 and is intended to cover living expenses in Finland for a single person.

Erasmus Mundus Scholarship Programs in Finland
Finnish Universities participate in a number of study programs which are funded by Erasmus Mundus Scholarships.  You can apply for a scholarship to follow one of the existing high-level Erasmus Mundus programmes at masters or doctoral level, or one of the new Erasmus+ Joint Master Degree programmes, offered by a consortium of European and non-European higher education institutions including a Finnish University.

Most  Finnish Universities don’t offer scholarships or financial aid for international students. Only a few individual programmes offered by some Universities offers some scholarships. Some Universities like The University of Helsinki offers international student grants with a minimal amount.

•  Please note that the tuition free university policy for non-EU/EEA students might change in the future. Tuition fees could still be introduced for non-EU/EEA students at some stage in the future You are advised to visit studyinfinland.fi for updates and follow what the individual higher education institutions say about tuition fees in their programmes by checking the info on their own Admissions pages.

•  A student will need EUR 500 â€" 800 per month to cover basic expenses such as food, rent, and transportation. Student union fee cost about about 100 euros.