Sara Holmberg, study secretary, works in block B5. Her phone number is 0207 699 669. Sara is the secretary of the Student Financial Aid Committee. If you want to discuss with her you may phone her using the phone outside B5 to see if she is available. You may also contact her in advance to make an appointment.

Student financial aid

Student financial aid is intended to provide an income to financially needy students whose parents are not under obligation to finance their studies and who are not eligible for aid under some other provisions. In order to qualify, you must be a full-time student, make satisfactory academic progress, and be in need of financial assistance.

Non-citizens of Finland can get financial aid for studies in Finland if they live in Finland on a permanent basis for a purpose other than studying. This requires that they are registered as a permanent resident in the Finnish population register system. The purpose of residence in Finland is determined by reference to such matters as the residence permit, registration or acceptance to an educational institution. Applications for financial aid must be accompanied by the appendix form OT10 for foreign residents.

If you come to Finland solely for the purpose of attending a school, you cannot get Finnish student financial aid!

The academic progress will be checked every year and the financial aid may be interrupted if:

• you don't answer the letters you get about the check
• if you don't have an acceptable reason for the delay of your academic progress
• if you, within a time limit set for you, haven't proceeded as you should

You might have to pay back the financial aid if you have not achieved any credits during a couple of periods or if the circumstances show that you have not had the intention to be a full-time student.

Financial aid is available in the form of study grant, housing supplement and government guarantees for student loan. Study grant and housing supplement are government-financed benefits with monthly payments to the student. The study grant is subject to tax. If you are granted a government loan guarantee, you can apply for a student loan at a bank of your choice. The bank will contact KELA to check the loan guarantee details.

Application forms are available from KELA offices, KELA´s website, and outside the Student Affairs Office at Arcada. On KELA´s website, you will find a feedback and question form, various calculator applications, and a system that lets you query your own financial aid data and track the progress of your application. These services are available in Finnish or in Swedish.

The address to which you can send your first application and changes to it is:

KELA, PL 13, 65101 Vaasa.

For more information, plase contact the Student Financial Aid Committee at Arcada:

Sara Holmberg

Secretary at the Student Financial Aid Committe at Arcada

studiestod(a)arcada.fi

The secretary

• handles the contact with KELA
• answers general questions
• presents the cases at the Committee's meetings
• handles applications