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General upper secondary education General upper secondary education and the matriculation examination taken at the end of it make it possible to apply for studies in higher education institutions. The unit of the scope of studies is a credit. The ...

Developing general upper secondary education In order to develop general upper secondary education, the Ministry of Education and Culture is drawing up proposals for overhauling the financing of general upper secondary education, and for reforming...

Tuition fees in upper secondary education Students from third countries will, in future, be required to pay tuition fees in both general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. These fees apply to those who start their stu...

Pupil and student welfare Pupils in pre-primary, primary and lower secondary school as well as students in upper secondary school have the right to pupil and student welfare services (also known as student welfare). It consists of student welfare ...

Comprehensive school Comprehensive schools provide general basic education from year 1 to year 9. Some folk high schools, upper secondary schools for adults and other educational institutions also offer general basic education. Under the Basic Edu...

3.11.2025 | The Ministry of Education and Culture has granted the first five authorisations to provide general upper secondary education in English. The authorisations were granted to Gradia, Jyväskylä Educational Consortium Gradia, and to the cities of Helsinki, Oulu, Pori and Tampere. This is part of the Programme of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government.

Student financial aid in Finland The purpose of student financial aid is to safeguard a minimum income for students in need of financial support during their studies. The education policy objectives serve as the foundation for the development of t...

General education General education comprises pre-primary, primary, lower secondary, general upper secondary education and other non-vocational studies, such as those at liberal adult education institutions. It also includes morning and afternoon ...

A short history of Finnish financial aid for students 2025 From 1 August 2025 onwards, students can get a housing supplement for students. This means that general housing allowance will no longer be paid to students. The change will not apply to s...

Financing of general education The state and the local education providers share the financial cost for tuition. Pre-primary education, primary and lower secondary education (basic education) and upper secondary education are all free of charge. I...

7.1.2026 | If your school journey is over 7 km, the Social Insurance Institution (KELA) subsides it. If the distance to your nearest educational institution is over 100 km, you have the right to allowances for accommodation and school journeys. • teachers an...

9.10.2025 | Students from non-EU countries will in future be required to pay tuition fees in both general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. These students will therefore no longer be included in the system of central government transfers to local government. At the same time, providers of vocational education and training will be permitted to sell commissioned education leading to a qualification also to citizens of EU Member States and EEA countries.

Key legislation on general education This page lists the key acts and decrees on general education. If an English translation of an act or decree is available, the link takes you directly to the English version of the statute in the Finlex databas...

Financing and administration of general education The Ministry of Education and Culture drafts legislation and government resolutions related to general education and coordinates the activities under its remit. The policies outlined in the Governm...

Education for immigrants Immigrants usually participate in the same early childhood education and care, education and training as the rest of the population. In addition to these, integration training and support for learning as well as preparator...

Questions and answers related to compulsory education This page provides answers to frequently asked questions on the extension of compulsory education. Questions and answers related to compulsory education Free of charge Guidance and supervision ...

Education is one of the cornerstones of the Finnish welfare society. We pride ourselves on an educational system that offers equal opportunities for education for all.

7.1.2026 | Options for completing compulsory education after comprehensive school (TUVA) Preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (max. 1 year). Each comprehensive school leaver must apply for further studies through t...

Matriculation examination At the end of general upper secondary education, students take a school-leaving examination known as the matriculation examination. It is a final certificate for students in general upper secondary education that is used ...

Frequently asked questions Here you can find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions. If you couldn’t find the answer to your question on our website, you are also welcome to contact us kas.okm(at)gov.fi How are you developing Finni...