Foreign-language students in Finland are receiving nearly as much social assistance in the first eight months of 2025 as they did during the entire previous year. Data from the Social Insurance Institution (Kela) shows that over €12 million has been paid to students whose primary language is not Finnish or Swedish by the end of August.
For comparison, total support in all of 2024 reached €12.9 million. Today, foreign-language students account for almost 40 percent of all student recipients of social assistance.
The surge in support coincides with record numbers of non-European students enrolling in Finnish higher education. Many of these students are accompanied by family members, which increases their living costs. Cities such as Vaasa report that international students, particularly those from Asia, are forming a growing share of applicants to food aid services.
The government has formed a ministerial working group to examine these trends. In early September, the group held consultations with universities and other relevant institutions. Its mandate includes assessing the challenges of student cost-of-living and investigating potential misuse of student residence permits.
Kaisu Piiroinen, senior ministerial advisor at the Ministry of Education and Culture, noted that some students may use residence permits for reasons other than studying. “In other words, their intent is to come to Finland for work, for example,” she said.
This development follows a 2022 reform under then Prime Minister Sanna Marin, which removed the requirement for non-EU students to prove financial self-sufficiency after their first study year. The current government led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo has suggested it may reverse this change.
Interior Minister Mari Rantanen of the Finns Party criticized the 2022 reform, highlighting the rising financial burden and strain on public support systems. Meanwhile, legislation passed by the Orpo government on tuition fees will take effect from August 2026. International students switching to work-based residence permits will still be required to pay tuition fees. Under previous rules, such students could avoid tuition if they left studies for full-time employment.
Piiroinen told Yle, “Previously, a student was not required to pay tuition fees if they received an employee residence permit. To some extent, this was used to circumvent tuition fees. The aim is to select students who are motivated to study in Finland.”
Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences are considering additional measures. One concern is unofficial agents promoting study in Finland with misleading promises.
Sanna Valliaro, Vice-Rector at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, explained that the school is exploring interviews or assignments as part of student selection. The centralised application process currently treats all applicants equally, limiting the ability to screen candidates more closely.
“This is necessary especially for students who come from countries where we have not marketed ourselves,” Valliaro said.
The working group’s report is expected to guide further legislative and institutional action in the coming months.
