HELSINKI, Oct. 9, 2025 (Chatnewstv.com) — Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture announced Thursday that students from non-EU countries will soon be required to pay tuition fees for both general upper secondary and vocational education, under a new government proposal aimed at reducing municipal costs and increasing state revenue.
The legislative proposal, issued by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s Government, stipulates that non-EU students will no longer be covered by the central government’s funding transfers to municipalities. At the same time, vocational education providers will be permitted to sell commissioned education leading to qualifications to citizens of EU and EEA countries, a privilege previously limited to higher education institutions.
“The proposal ensures a more balanced and sustainable education funding system,” the Ministry said in a statement. “It also aligns with the Government’s spending limit decisions from spring 2025.”
The new rules, however, include several exemptions. Tuition fees will not apply to non-EU nationals who are permanently resident in the EEA, exchange students participating in short-term or partial programmes, or persons granted temporary protection. Students attending apprenticeship-based vocational training with residence permits based on employment will also remain exempt.
The government also plans to amend the Act on Compulsory Education, clarifying that it will not apply to students from non-EU countries residing in Finland solely for study purposes.
In addition, education providers will be granted access to information on the residence-permit status of applicants and students, and allowed to share such data with the Finnish Immigration Service.
Under the proposal, obtaining a residence permit for study will be contingent upon payment of tuition fees set by the education provider.
The Ministry said the changes are linked to the Government’s 2026 budget proposal and are expected to take effect on August 1, 2026.
