Tu­ition Fees and Schol­ar­ships

Important information: After the legislative change 1 December 2024 those switching from a study-based residence permit to an employment-based residence permit are no longer exempt from paying tuition fee.

There will be no tuition fee for non-EU/EEA students

• who have started their studies before 1 August 2017
• who have accepted the study place in the 2016 joint application and have enrolled as absent
• who study in degree programmes taught in Finnish
• who have an EU Blue Card granted in Finland
• who have a continuous residence permit card in Finland, type A permit, and a person (or a family member) has not been granted a residence permit to Finland for the first time on the basis of studies
  • You are also exempted if you have a family-ties permit based on your spouse’s permanent residence or EU citizenship. In addition, a continuous residence permit card in Finland (type A), may exempt you from paying tuition fees if it is granted on grounds other than studying. However, you are required to pay tuition fees in the following cases:
    • If your first residence permit in Finland was granted for the purpose of studying, you are required to pay tuition fees, even if you later obtained a continuous residence permit (type A) on other grounds.
    • If you have a continuous residence permit (type A) based on family ties, but your first permit was granted for studies, and your family member currently also has a continuous resident permit (type A) and they originally came to Finland on a residence permit granted for studying, you are also required to pay tuition fees.
    • If your continuous residence permit (type A) is granted for studying, you are required to pay tuition fees.
  • Tuition fee liability is checked from all applicants, and permit history will be requested from Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
• NB: Type A permit granted for studying in Finland (from 15 April 2022 onwards) doesn’t exempt student from paying tuition fee.
• who have a permanent residence permit card in Finland, type P permit
• who have an EU Family Member’s Residence Card in Finland
• who have an EU residence permit for third-country citizens with long-term residence permit card in Finland (Type P-EU)
• Who have a Brexit residence permit card, Type SEU = Right of residence under the withdrawal agreement
• Who have a residence permit card on the basis of temporary protection

If you are unsure about whether you need to pay tuition fees or not, check the ‘Am I required to pay tuition fees?‘ section at Studyinfo.fi. 

Providing the documentaries 

Students are required to provide one of the following documents to be exempted from paying tuition fees: 

• EU Blue Card granted in Finland
• Continuous residence permit card in Finland, Type A permit (if a person has not been granted a residence permit to Finland for the first time on the basis of studies)
• NB: Type A permit granted for studying in Finland (from 15 April 2022 onwards) doesn’t exempt student from paying tuition fee.
• EU Family Member’s Residence Card in Finland
• Permanent residence permit card in Finland, Type P permit
• EU residence permit for third-country citizens with long term residence permit card in Finland (Type P-EU)
• Who have a Brexit residence permit card, Type SEU = Right of residence under the withdrawal agreement
• Who have a residence permit card on the basis of temporary protection

Please notice: if you receive one of the documents mentioned above at any point of the admission process or while studying, please provide us the document immediately via this link:

In order to be eligible for exemption from the tuition fee, new student must submit a new residence permit before the start of the academic year (no later than July 31) to be eligible for exemption from the tuition fee for the next academic year.

Continuing students must submit a new residence permit before the start of next semester, December 31 (for spring semester) or July 31 (for autumn semester)

Legislative Changes 1 December 2024: Changing Study-Based Residence Permit to an Employment-Based Residence Permit

The Finnish Government has made important changes to the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, which will affect international students in Finland who will apply for possible tuition fee exemptions starting from 1 December 2024.

After 1 December 2024, students who receive a new continuous residence permit (type A) for an employed person will not be exempt from tuition fees if their first residence permit in Finland was based on studying.

Please notice: The tuition fee should NEVER be paid through third parties (i.e. educational agents).

You can pay your tuition fee in one of the following ways:

• HAMK’s own webstore HAMK Store 
• Flywire – international payment option for students
  • What is Flywire? It is a Secure Payment Option for International Students. HAMK has partnered with Flywire to accept payments from international students worldwide. Easily and securely make education payments in your own currency, using local payment methods from the safety and convenience of your home. With real-time tracking and Around-the-clock multilingual support, millions of students and families around the world trust Flywire for payment processing. Watch how it works!
• By a bank transfer; Below you can see all the details needed for the bank transfer
  • Beneficiary: Häme University of Applied Sciences Ltd, PO Box 230, FI-13101 Hämeenlinna, Business ID: 2617489-3
  • BANK´s name: Nordea Bank Finland Plc
  • BANK’s address: Raatihuoneenkatu 17 13100 Hämeenlinna, Finland
  • IBAN: FI58 1732 3000 0090 57
  • BIC/SWIFT: NDEAFIHH
  • Message to payee: Write your given names and family name
• We do not accept cash

Tuition fee has to be paid when you accept your study place. The processing of your payment can take a few days, and after that you can enroll for the academic year.

Payment due dates and amounts:

• Bachelor’s degree studies, Direct application
  • 30 April 2025 – €9 700 
• Bachelor’s degree studies, Joint application or the Degree Programme in Smart and Sustainable Design, Direct application
  • 10 July 2025 – €9 700
• Master’s degree studies
  • 10 July 2025 – €11 700

Please notice:

• First year´s tuition fee is paid in one part
• Only in justified cases you can request exceptional proceedings regarding the payment date of the tuition fees, however tuition fee has always be paid fully for the first year. This request has to be done by the payment due date in question and HAMK will consider it.

Please note that if you have enrolled as present but do not pay the tuition fee, you will lose your right to study.

Payment due dates and amounts:

• Bachelor’s degree studies
  • 10 July 2025 – €4 850 for the Autumn Semester
  • 1 December 2025 – €4 850 for the Spring Semester
• Master’s degree studies
  • 10 July 2025 – €5 850 for the Autumn Semester
  • 1 December 2025 – €5 850 for the Spring Semester

You can always pay your tuition fee in full for the whole academic year!

During academic year 2025-2026 we will offer an early bird discount for the first year’s tuition fee.

• Early Bird Discount for new Bachelor’s students €800 (first year´s tuition fee €8 900)
• Early Bird Discount for new Master’s students €1 000 (first year´s tuition fee €10 700)
• The Early Bird discount is available only for students who will be accepted to HAMK first time for academic year 2025-2026.

How I re­ceive the dis­count?

If you pay your tuition fee before dates mentioned below, you can choose or use the discounted price.

You will have at least a 3-week time to make the payment after receiving your acceptance letter.

Direct Application – Bachelors’ Students

Students accepted from Direct application who

• apply by the end of January and
• pay their annual tuition fee by March 31,

will get a discount for the first year´s tuition fee.

Joint Application or Smart and Sustainable Design students – Bachelors’ Students

Students accepted from Joint application or for the Degree Programme in Smart and Sustainable Design from the Direct application who pay their annual tuition fee by May 31, will get a discount for the first year’s tuition fee.

All Master’s Degrees – Masters’ Students

Students accepted for the Master’s degree programs will have at least three week time to pay the early bird discount price.

Continuing students:

Please notice that The Early Bird Discount is meant only for students who have been accepted to HAMK first time for the academic year 2025-2026.

You are not able to get the discount if you have been accepted earlier, but you have been absent.

New stu­dents

The tuition fee can only be refunded if you receive a negative residence permit decision. In this case, you need to send the negative residence permit decision to HAMK (reception@hamk.fi) as soon as you get the decision.

Notice, that we will always charge an office fee, 500€, when refunding the tuition fee.

If you enroll as present for the semester but don’t start the studies or drop out for any other reason (except military service, parental leave or personal sickness or injury), you will always pay the fee for the academic year fully.

Con­tinu­ing Stu­dents

If you enroll as present for the semester but don’t start the studies or drop out for any other reason (except military service or parental leave), you will always pay the fee for the beginning semester fully.

Non-​attending stu­dents by the mil­it­ary ser­vice, par­ental leave or per­sonal sick­ness or in­jury

If you are not able to start your studies as planned because of Finnish military service, parental leave or personal sickness or injury, you can enroll yourself as a non-attending student for a semester. In this case you don’t need to pay the tuition fee for that period. If you have already paid the tuition fee, the payment will be transferred to next academic year.

Please notice, that you need to send a written document as a proof before you can enroll yourself as non-attending student and before the start of the autumn semester, 31^st of July at the latest. In case of personal sickness or injury the medical certificates need to be notarized*. In these cases, please contact admissions@hamk.fi. If the documentation is not sent before the due date, the tuition fee will not be transferred and the enrollment status will not be changed.

Notice also that Finnish immigration Services will always be informed when international student enrolls as absent!

* A notarized letter or document is certified by a notary public, a licensed public officer who serves as an impartial witness to the signing of documents and establishes the authenticity of the signatures. A notary’s signature and seal are required to authenticate the signature on your letter or legal document

All students at HAMK must ensure they have sufficient funds to cover tuition fees (if applicable) and living expenses for the entire duration of their studies. Before arriving in Finland, make sure you have a realistic financial plan. 

Note: International students who come to Finland solely for their studies are generally not eligible for government financial aid for students. Read more from Kela’s pages. 

The cost of living in Finland varies based on individual lifestyle, location, and housing choices. As a student, we recommend budgeting approximately 950–1,200 EUR per month to cover essential expenses. Below is an estimated breakdown of typical student costs: 

• Rent: 400–650 EUR 

• Food: 400–500 EUR 

• Other expenses (leisure, internet, phone, etc.): 100 EUR 

Tip: Students in Finland can benefit from a variety of student discounts on transport, dining, and leisure activities. For example, train tickets can be 30–50% cheaper for students. To access these discounts, you need a valid student card. Learn more about student union membership and student card benefits here. 

International exchange and degree students are allowed to work in Finland with certain restrictions. Students from outside the EU/EEA can work up to 30 hours per week on average during the academic year. However, finding a part-time job can be challenging, especially in the first two years, due to language barriers and competition. Even in roles requiring minimal Finnish skills, job opportunities are limited. 

While internships at HAMK are mandatory and work experience is valuable, we encourage students to prioritize their studies, make meaningful connections, and fully embrace student life. It’s also important to note that job availability varies significantly between campuses. Do not rely on finding a part-time job immediately upon arrival—students should have sufficient financial resources to support their studies without one. 

Additionally, work should not interfere with your studies. Balancing coursework with part-time jobs can be demanding, and wages often do not fully cover living expenses, especially for students paying tuition fees. Learning Finnish can improve job prospects, but it’s crucial to set realistic expectations regarding work opportunities. 

Finally, if you work in Finland, you must pay taxes. Before starting employment, you need to apply for a tax card and/or tax number from the Finnish Tax Office (Vero). 

By planning ahead and understanding these challenges, you can better navigate student life in Finland.