If you have questions

Open university and university of applied sciences studies are generally available to anyone who would like to broaden or update their skills and knowledge, find a new direction for their competence, or familiarise themselves with new topics without committing to an entire degree programme. The studies can be completed alongside work and in almost any life situation. There are no requirements relating to prior education or anything else.

Degree programmes include certain studies specified in advance, but in an open higher education institution, you can choose study options that are relevant for you, either individually or as larger units.

In an open higher education institution, you can study individual topics or complete courses without formal admission requirements. Your studies do not have to aim for completing a degree.

A fee is usually charged for open higher education courses, and you cannot receive student financial aid for them. The actual studies may not be any different.

You can also take open higher education studies as an alternative route to degree studies.

Read more about path and route studies in:

Open higher education as a way to degree studies

You can freely select topics that interest you in the wide range of study options offered by open higher education institutions and study at your own pace – either online or in contact teaching.

The courses may consist of lectures and exercises, and they may have different teaching materials, assignments and exams. For some studies, you will need software or special equipment. The basic materials are usually available online.

This depends a lot on both the institution and the studies you have selected. For example, there may be major differences between what you need to know before you start the studies, language proficiency and information technology requirements as well as the devices and tools you will need between different institutions and types of studies.

See the description of the studies for more information on prior knowledge and device requirements.

Studies you have completed earlier or somewhere else can often also be recognised as part of your new degree. Higher education institutions’ instructions and practices vary in this respect.

In general, recognising open studies as part of a new degree is almost always possible, whereas the possibilities of transferring your credits to open higher education studies or route studies are limited and depend on the higher education institution. Some higher education institutions even have a policy of not doing this at all.

See the education provider’s website for more detailed instructions.

Both continuous learners and open university students have access to different guidance services. The scope and nature of these services vary greatly from one institution to another. You should always check the availability of the services with the education provider or higher education institution.

Read the description of the studies carefully to find instructions for registering, the amount of the fee and how to pay it, the registration period and links to the education provider's website, where you can find more information.

The higher education institutions’ practices vary. Contact the higher education institution with which you have registered to find out about the terms and conditions of the studies.

A fee is mainly charged for open higher education studies, even though free studies are also available. The details of the fees vary from one institution to another, and it is a good idea to contact the institution whose studies you are registering for to find out about the fees. At the same time, you can also find out about terms of payment and any groups that may be entitled to a discount.

The maximum fees charged by an open higher education institution are determined by a Government Decree. Teacher education studies completed as non-degree studies are free of charge.

The method of payment depends on the higher education institution whose studies you have registered for.

A cost price fee may also be charged for learning materials, tools, devices or other accessories made available to the student.

Your first stop for official certificates for the studies you have completed is My Studyinfo service maintained by the Finnish National Agency for Education. If you are an open higher education student and you have a valid right to study, you can order and print a transcript of records from your higher education institution's system.

In international contexts, paper documents that are signed manually and stamped may sometimes be needed. If a document with an e-signature is not sufficient, contact the higher education institution in question.

As an open higher education student, you may have a right to various benefits and services, including study guidance, student advice, library services and licences for software you use in your studies.

National official benefits are the same in all higher education institutions. In addition, path/route learners may be granted support for individual higher education institutions.

In certain cases, you can also get benefits for meals or sports. Check the situation on the website of the institution whose studies you have registered for.

Learners in open higher education are not entitled to financial aid for students paid by the Social Insurance Institution, or KELA (which includes study grant, housing supplement, government-guaranteed student loan, school transport subsidy, meal subsidy, interest subsidy), travel benefits (discounts on public transport) or services provided by the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS).

You need to have a student card to access most student benefits.

You can update your phone number and email address in the Opin.fi service once you have logged in as an identified user. Fill in and update your background information to receive relevant recommendations, including on fields and themes that might interest you.

If you have to interrupt your studies or drop out for one reason or another, contact the higher education institution where you are studying directly. The practices for such situations vary, which is why it is important to find out about your options, for example for continuing your studies, in each individual case.

The open university route means that you can get a place in degree studies at a university based on your open university studies.

The open university route offers a way to degree studies even if you have not completed the upper secondary education that is usually a requirement for applying for a place in these studies. The content and scope (credits) of the required route studies and the number of intake places available vary between universities and degree programmes. Universities use different methods to select students to courses included in route studies. For example, they admit students in the order of registration or use some other admission procedure. This also applies to study places in degree programmes after the route studies.

Contact the university and degree programme in which you are applying for a place to find out about their practices relating to route studies, including admission criteria, admission procedures and details of the application process.

Visit the education provider's website to find out how your education provider recognises your prior studies as part of your new degree.

Path studies in an open university of applied sciences are an alternative way of becoming a degree student. They offer a way to degree studies even if you have not completed the upper secondary education that is usually required before you can apply for a place in these studies.

The content and scope (credits) of the required path studies and the number of intake places available vary between institutions and degree programmes. Higher education institutions use various methods to grant places in path studies to students. For example, students are admitted in the order of registration or through some other admission procedure. This also applies to study places in degree programmes after the path studies.

Contact the institution and degree programme in which you are applying for a place to find out about the practices for path studies.

Visit the education provider's website to find out how your education provider recognises your prior studies as part of your new degree.

In some universities of applied sciences, it is also possible to apply for a place in Master's studies through open university of applied sciences studies. In this case you must, in addition to your open university of applied sciences studies, have a suitable Bachelor's degree and two years of work experience in the field.

Adult education allowances were discontinued in 2024.

Parliament passed a bill on the discontinuation of adult education benefits on 22 May 2024. The government bill was not amended in the parliamentary hearing, and the act was passed without changes. The act entered into force on 1 June 2024.

Under this act, adult education allowance cannot be granted under any circumstances for studies starting in autumn 2024.

Also read about other support forms under question: What kind of services and benefits can I get as a student?

From higher education institutions’ point of view, the student's status in the labour market does not affect their opportunities to study.

The TE Services will answer your questions about how studying while you are unemployed or laid off affects your various subsidies or benefits: https://tyomarkkinatori.fi/(Opens in a new tab)

Also read about the fee charged for studies under question:

How much does studying in open higher education cost?