The fight for free education is a continuous battle
October 24 is known as Free Education Day in Finland. It is a day that is celebrated by all students in the country on a yearly basis. As much as I would like to celebrate today, the reality is that not every student has access to free higher education, in particular, students outside of EU / EEA zones who are liable to the tuition fees. In the current political atmosphere, the student movement must continue to boldly defend access to free education for all students in Finland, regardless of one’s nationality!
Free education is one of the cornerstore pillars of Finnish society. The aim of the system is to encourage students from various socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue higher education. Unfortunately, the ability to study full-time without worrying about one's finances has been hindered. In a recent KOTT survey, every fourth student indicated a worry of running out of money for food in the past year. Accessibility and equity towards free higher education is not fully achieved, if one’s financial situation imposes hardships on the ability to study. Let’s not compromise on this pillar!
In Finland, the tuition fees have been introduced in 2017 and have been regularly brought up in the political discussion. As of August 2025, students coming outside the EU and EEA zones will have to pay full coverage of the tuition costs. In reality, this means higher tuition fees. In the context of Aalto University, the tuition fees will significantly increase, for example, by 33% from 15 000 euros to 20 000 euros per academic year for Master’s programmes at the School of ARTS. This makes me wonder - is Finnish higher education truly accessible and equitable for all students?
University students are already under a lot of pressure. According to Aalto’s AllWell? student survey results 2024, tuition-fee liable students in particular face barriers in their life situations, social relationships, career certainty and burnout risk. If the Finnish government truly wants to ensure that international students stay in the country, higher tuition fees are not a long-term solution. Rather, there should be more incentives and opportunities created for the international students to pursue education in Finland without additional financial burdens.
As of now, the student movement including myself continue to stand up for free access to education for all students in Finland! The fight for free education should be continuous, not only on October 24.
Read more news
Ecological sustainability policy has been updated – AYY transitions to a plant-based policy
Aalto University Student Union (AYY) has updated its ecological sustainability policy, which supports AYY’s daily operations. The new document directs AYY to serve plant-based food and drinks at its events. In the future, food waste will be minimised, and 30 percent of air and ship travel costs will be offset towards environmental activities.
AYY is taking steps to improve equity in its operations – new equity plan approved by RepCo
Aalto University Student Union has an equity plan, first in AYY’s history, that was approved in the Representative Council meeting on 21.11.2024. Equity plan will guide AYY towards more accessible and inclusive ways for our students to participate in AYY’s events and operations.
Good news for residents in shared apartments: Here’s how you can receive your own housing allowance while living in a friends’ apartment!
A joint liability rental agreement may affect the housing allowance, as Kela typically grants only one housing allowance for a shared household, which is influenced by the income of both residents. However, residents in friends’ apartments may receive separate housing allowances if Kela reviews them as separate households. This requires tenants with a joint liability rental agreement to draft a mutual possession agreement for the apartment and submit it as an appendix with their housing allowance application to Kela. Tenants draft the possession agreement by themselves.