Upper Secondary Education Tuition Fees

Students coming from third countries will in future be required to pay tuition fees in general upper secondary education and vocational education and training. The fees apply to students who start their studies in August 2026 or later. 

Who will be required to pay the tuition fees?

As of 1 August 2026, tuition fees will be introduced in Finland at the upper secondary level for students coming from outside the EU and EEA area (so called third country nationals). 

A third country national is a person who is not a citizen of an EU Member State, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, or Switzerland.

Palsta 1/2

Which programmes are subject to tuition fees?

Tuition fees apply to: 

  • vocational education and training
  • general upper secondary education

Tuition fees apply to both vocational education and general upper secondary education regardless of whether a student completes an entire qualification, parts of a qualification, or individual subjects (subject students).

Palsta 2/2

Which programmes are not subject to tuition fees?

  • Vocational education and training organised as labour market training. Only individuals in Finland who meet the selection criteria set by the employment authority for the training can be admitted.
  • Preparatory Education for Programmes Leading to an Upper Secondary Qualification (TUVA). TUVA is not a qualification‑leading programme, and a residence permit based on studies cannot be granted on the basis of this training.

Applicants from outside EU and EEA countries who are subject to tuition fees cannot apply to:

  • General Upper Secondary Education in English (English‑language upper secondary education).
Väliotsikko

Who pays the tuition fee?

Palsta 1/3

In vocational education and training

The tuition fee applies to persons:

  • whose first residence permit in Finland has been granted on the basis of studies.
  • adults (persons aged 18 or over who are not subject to compulsory education) who come to Finland on the basis of family ties if the sponsor’s first residence permit was granted on the basis of studies.

The obligation to pay continues until the student is granted a permanent residence permit.

Palsta 2/3

In general upper secondary education

The tuition fee is paid by persons: 

  • whose first residence permit in Finland is granted on the basis of studies.
Palsta 3/3

Compulsory education students

For young people subject to compulsory education, upper secondary education in Finland is free of charge.

Compulsory education covers persons under 18 who receive a municipality of residence in Finland upon arrival together with their guardian or family. The basis for the sponsor’s residence permit does not affect this.

Who does not pay the tuition fee?

The tuition fee is not charged, for example, from: 

  • holders of a permanent residence permit (the P permit).
  • holders of a continuous residence permit (an A permit) whose first residence permit was granted on a basis other than studies.
  • exchange students (studies in Finland up to 1 year).
  • persons in Finland under temporary protection.
  • persons who have been granted international protection.

How do tuition fees affect student admission and residence permits? 

  • A tuition fee is determined for a student who has been admitted to a programme and has accepted the study place. 
  • A residence permit can be granted only after the tuition fee has been paid. 
  • Payment of the fee is a precondition for a positive residence permit decision. 
  • A student subject to tuition fees cannot participate in instruction or training if the fee has not been paid.

Amount of the annual tuition fee

The amount of the annual tuition fee is determined according to the decision on Gradia’s annual tuition fees that is in force at the start of your studies.

The annual tuition fee includes:

  • teaching and guidance in accordance with the curriculum or qualification requirements
  • study materials
  • the right to student welfare services and special support
  • a student lunch provided by the institution on days when instruction is delivered on campus according to the student’s personal study plan or competence development plan.

The annual tuition fee does not include student housing. Students must arrange their own accommodation either through student housing foundations (such as koas.fi/en) or the private market, and pay for it themselves.

Additional information and schedule 

The content of this page will be updated, and more detailed information about tuition fees will be published during spring 2026. 

Tuition fees for vocational upper secondary qualifications

Tuition fees for general upper secondary education