Tuition fees in upper secondary education

Tuition fees apply to third-country nationals who arrive in Finland and stay in Finland for the purpose of studying. A third-country national means a national of a country other than a Member State of the European Union or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland.

Tuition fees apply to those who start their studies on or after 1 August 2026.

If the grounds for a student's residence permit change during their studies – for example, from studying to working – the student is no longer required to pay tuition fees in general upper secondary education.

For young people within the scope of compulsory education, studying in Finland is free of charge. Anyone under the age of 18 who has arrived in Finland with their family or other guardian is within the scope of compulsory education once they have been assigned a municipality of residence in Finland. The grounds on which the sponsor's residence permit is issued are not relevant.
 

Tuition fees apply to third country nationals who arrive in Finland and stay in Finland for the purpose of studying. A third-country national means a national of a country other than a Member State of the European Union or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Tuition fees apply to those who start their studies on or after 1 August 2026.

The following pay tuition fees in vocational education and training:

• those whose first residence permit for Finland has been issued on the basis of studies;
• adults who come to Finland based on family ties if their sponsor's residence permit or first residence permit has been issued on the basis of studies.

They pay tuition fees until they are issued a permanent permit to reside in Finland. 

For young people within the scope of compulsory education, studying in Finland is free of charge. Anyone under the age of 18 who has arrived in Finland with their family or other guardian is within the scope of compulsory education once they have been assigned a municipality of residence in Finland. The grounds on which the sponsor's residence permit is issued are not relevant.
 

Exchange students who come to Finland to study for a maximum of one year do not pay tuition fees.

Students who come to Finland for apprenticeship training require a work-based residence permit. Persons who hold a work-based residence permit in Finland and take part in apprenticeship training are not required to pay tuition fees.

Students may also transfer to apprenticeship training during their studies. This does not exempt them from tuition fees, but the vocational education and training provider may place apprenticeship training in a lower tuition fee category.
 

Students who first entered Finland with a residence permit for studies are required to pay tuition fees in vocational education and training. They pay tuition fees until they are issued a permanent permit to reside in Finland.

Adults who come to Finland based on family ties are required to pay tuition fees in vocational education and training if their sponsor's residence permit or first residence permit was issued on the basis of studies. They pay tuition fees until they are issued a permanent permit to reside in Finland.

Minors who come to Finland for study purposes do not belong within the scope of compulsory education. Nor are they entitled to education free of charge.
 
 

The legislative amendment does not apply to students who have already started their studies. The amendment and tuition fees apply to those who start their studies on or after 1 August 2026.

• Government proposal to Parliament for an act amending the Act on Vocational Education and Training and for related acts. The legislative amendments were passed on 10 December 2025.
   

Students are not exempted from tuition fees simply because they have been assigned a municipality of residence. The grounds on which the residence permit is issued determine whether the obligation to pay tuition fees applies.

Those under the age of 18 who live permanently in Finland and do not yet hold a secondary level qualification are within the scope of compulsory education and therefore entitled to education free of charge. They are considered to live permanently in Finland if they have a municipality of residence. 

However, minors under 18 who are third-country nationals residing in Finland for the purpose of studying are not within the scope of compulsory education in Finland and are not entitled to free education, even if they have been assigned a municipality of residence. Holders of residence permits issued on the basis of studies are considered to reside in Finland for study purposes.
 

Third-country nationals who arrive in Finland for the purpose of studying pay tuition fees. Changing the grounds for a residence permit – for example, to a work-based one – does not exempt students in vocational education and training from tuition fees.

Students in vocational education and training pay tuition fees until they are issued a permanent permit to reside in Finland. 
 

Third-country nationals who arrive in Finland for study purposes and study in general upper secondary education and who reside in Finland as holders of a student's residence permit are required to pay tuition fees. 

However, general upper secondary school students are exempt from tuition fees if the grounds for their residence permit change during their studies – for example, to a work-based permit.
 

Tuition fees in vocational education and training vary depending on the qualification, the education provider and the contents of the student’s personal competence development plan (PCDP). Each vocational education and training provider (VET provider) determines the tuition fee amount, the payment practices and provides information on the fee level.

Tuition fees must correspond to the average costs incurred for providing such education and training. Each provider also decides the basis on which it refunds tuition fees already paid or applies a lower tuition fee rate.
 

Students who pay tuition fees are not entitled to free meals, free accommodation or social benefits for students when attending apprenticeship training. 
Nor are they entitled to free educational materials or supplies, such as textbooks, licences for electronic textbooks or other study materials.

They are, however, entitled to student welfare services.
 

Yes. Tuition fees apply to general upper secondary education and vocational education and training offered in all languages. 

Tuition fees do not apply to vocational education and training provided in the form of labour market training, nor to preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA programmes).

Compulsory education applies to children and young people under the age of 18 who reside permanently in Finland and do not hold a secondary education qualification. They are considered to reside permanently in Finland if they have been assigned a municipality of residence in Finland. 

Third-country nationals residing in Finland for the purpose of studying are not within the scope of compulsory education in Finland. 
 

Anyone under the age of 18 who arrives in Finland with their family or other guardian is within the scope of compulsory education once they have been assigned a municipality of residence. The type of residence permit (A or B) held by the child or parent or other guardian does not matter.

For young people within the scope of compulsory education, studying in Finland is free of charge. However, if a municipality of residence is not assigned until after the age of 18, tuition fees must be paid.
 

Those who have started their upper secondary studies may complete their studies free of charge until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 20.

Third-country nationals who arrive in Finland and stay in Finland for study purposes are required to pay tuition fees in general upper secondary education. A third-country national means a national of a country other than a Member State of the European Union or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

If the grounds for a student's residence permit change during their studies – for example, from studying to working – the student is no longer required to pay tuition fees in general upper secondary education. 

Tuition fees apply to those who start their studies on or after 1 August 2026.
 

Third-country nationals who come to Finland for study purposes are required to pay tuition fees in vocational education and training. A third-country national means a national of a country other than a Member State of the European Union or of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.

Tuition fees are paid in vocational education and training by those whose residence permit or first residence permit for Finland has been issued on the basis of studies. Adults who come to Finland based on family ties are required to pay tuition fees in vocational education and training if their sponsor's residence permit or first residence permit was issued on the basis of studies. They pay tuition fees until they are issued a permanent permit to reside in Finland. 

Tuition fees apply to those who start their studies on or after 1 August 2026.
 

In vocational education and training, tuition fees cannot be waived by changing the grounds for the residence permit – for example, to a work-based permit.  Students in VET pay tuition fees until they are issued a permanent permit to reside in Finland.

In general upper secondary education, tuition fees are waived if the grounds for the residence permit change during the studies – for example, to a work-based permit or a permit issued on the basis of family ties. Tuition fees in general upper secondary education apply only to those who arrive in Finland as holders of a student’s residence permit and those already residing in Finland who hold such a permit.
 

Providers of vocational education and training must charge annual tuition fees to students who are third-country nationals. These fees must, at a minimum, correspond to the average costs incurred for providing such education and training. Tuition fees must be paid for students to take part in the education and lessons.

Each VET provider is responsible for ensuring that students have paid their tuition fees. Students who fail to pay their tuition fees are not entitled to participate in the education, lessons or training.

The Finnish National Agency for Education produces annual materials for education providers showing the average costs in different fields of education and qualifications. VET providers may determine the level of tuition fees within the scope of their own discretion, provided that the fees on average reflect the provider’s own variable costs. The calculations produced by the Finnish National Agency for Education offer indicative cost data to support education providers in their own computations.

When determining tuition fees, providers must also take into account the fixed costs they incur, ensuring that central government transfers are not used to educate students from third countries. Tuition fees cannot be based solely on marginal costs.

• Calculations and reports by the Finnish national Agency for Education

The size of the tuition fee may vary between education providers, even for the same qualification. For example, a VET provider may consider that training arranged in a workplace is less costly than training within an educational institution and may therefore charge the student a lower tuition fee.

Tuition fees may also vary from one fee-paying student to another depending on the volume of studies they complete and the extent of workplace training arranged for them. 

If the fees turn out to be excessive, the VET provider may refund part of the tuition fees already paid, or alternatively offset part of the next tuition fee by an equivalent amount. Fees determined before studies begin and paid in advance may prove excessive if, during the studies, more cost-effective arrangements – such as workplace training – are used. Tuition fees that have already been charged cannot be increased retrospectively.

Education providers must draw up a policy explaining how excessive tuition fees already paid will be refunded, how fees will be offset, and how refunds will be handled if a student discontinues their studies or drops out. The collection of tuition fees, and any refunds or offsets, must be managed in a way that ensures equal treatment for all students.
 

The tuition fees in general upper secondary education must be at least equal to the average unit price for general upper secondary education. Provisions on the annual average unit price for general upper secondary education are issued by government decree. In 2026, the average unit price is EUR 8,953.47. The size of the tuition fees is determined by the education providers. General upper secondary education may not be provided for the purpose of financial gain.

If the unit price of the education provider is lower than the average unit price for general upper secondary education, the tuition fees must be set at no less than the unit price determined for the provider. For students admitted to complete one or more subjects (so-called subject students), the fee must correspond to the average unit price per credit or to the lower unit price set for the provider, divided by 30. 

Tuition fees must remain the same for students throughout the duration of their studies, ensuring they are fully informed in advance of the fees payable in the coming years.

Education providers must establish a clear policy outlining how tuition fees already paid may be refunded, how tuition fees may be offset, and how refunds will be handled if a student discontinues their studies or drops out. The collection of tuition fees, and any refunds or offsets, must be managed by education providers in a way that ensures equal treatment for all students.

Tuition fees that have already been charged cannot be increased retrospectively.
 

Education providers collect the tuition fees and determine the practices for doing so.

Students cannot be granted a residence permit unless the tuition fees have been paid. This means that the payment of the tuition fees is a prerequisite for a positive decision on a residence permit. 

Tuition fees are issued to students who have been admitted to education and who have accepted the study place.

Fee‑paying students may not participate in instruction or training unless they have paid the tuition fees.
 

For the purpose of determining tuition fees, education providers have the right to obtain certain information from the Finnish Immigration Service concerning the applicant, the student and, in the case of vocational education and training, the applicant's sponsor's right of residence.

The collection of tuition fees is not voluntary. By law, education providers are required to collect tuition fees from all those who are legally required to pay tuition fees.

Education providers may not collect tuition fees at the application stage. Tuition fees are issued only to students who have been admitted to education and who have accepted the place.