Scholarships in Finland for International Students

Do you wish to pursue bachelor’s, master’s or PhD studies in Finland but you are worried that you might not be able to do so due to financial constraints? Do not panic as there are scholarships at all levels of study in Finland for international students.

The country offers over 400 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. For you to study any of the available courses at its esteemed institutions hassle free, we will be delving into the scholarship opportunities that are available.

For applicants who are seeking to undertake bachelor’s program at a Finnish higher education Institution, the basic requirement is usually high school-leaving certificates even if you have completed some higher education studies prior to your application.

To be eligible for master’s degree in the country, candidates must have completed a bachelor’s degree or equivalent and in most cases you would be required to complete an entrance exam or an interview.

When you are done with the application procedure, have taken the required entrance exams and subsequently gained admission into a university of your choice in Finland, there are some aspects which would need urgent attention, such as: cost of study, cost of living and feeding.

Cost Of Study

An applicant outside the EU/EEA area, is required to pay tuition fees for bachelor’s and master’s level programs. But at the doctorate level, payment of tuition fees are not required, regardless of ones nationality. The fee which students are expected to pay is approximately €80 – €100.

Cost Of Living

How to secure accommodation and fend for yourself daily during your stay are some of the questions you will be asked while trying to get a student visa. The cost of living per month in Finland is around €700 – €900 (for food, accommodation, travel, insurance). Living costs are typically higher in larger cities than in smaller ones.

These realities are the challenges that many foreign students face while trying to study abroad, however, the government of Finland and certain universities offer scholarships to lessen the financial burden for students in need.

Here are 7 scholarship programs for international students in Finland

1. Finland Government Scholarships

The Finnish Government Scholarship Pool program is designed for young researchers from all academic fields. The scholarship is only applicable to those un undergraduate level and as such those in the Master’s or doctorat category are not eligible. The scholarship is valid for a study/research period of 3 to 9 months.

Scholarship Benefits: A successful applicants will receive a monthly allowance of EUR 1500. But the student will bear the expensives of their own transportation and insurance coverage.

2. University Of Helsinki Scholarships

The University Of Helsinki Scholarships is one of the best scholarship programs that provides financial aid to outstanding international students (EU/EEA) candidates are not qualified.

Scholarship Benefits: This is a fully funded scholarship which covers full tuition fee for the student and offers study grant of 10 000 EUR for the duration of the academic program.

The scholarship available at University of Helsinki lasts for two years. You will be evaluated after the first year of study year, and if you are a high flying student, the scholarship will be continued.

3. University Of Oulu Masters Scholarships

This particular scholarships scheme targets students who are pursuing Master’s degree in the University of Oulu. It is a two-year international Master’s program. For a recipient to retain the scholarship after the first year of study, he must have completed 55 ECTS by the end of the previous academic year. If a student is not able to meet this requirement, they will be liable to pay the full tuition fee at the institution if they wish to complete their Master’s degree program.

The number of awardees usually varies depending on the field of study, but the it is often offered to between 10 to a maximum of 40 recipients annually. The duration of the scholarship is one year after admission

Scholarship Benefits: It covers the tuition fee only, so a recipient will have to finance their living costs such as accommodation, meals, and transportation.

4. University Of Tampere Scholarships

The University of Tampere Scholarships Program is designed for students who applied for Master’s program in English at the higher institution. It provides financial aid to the most talented students from countries around the world an lasts for two years.

Scholarship Benefits: The scheme consists of two categories:

The University of Tampere tuition fee scholarships which covers either 100 percent of the tuition or 50 percent.

The UoT Global Student Award for academic excellence scholarships which covers 100 percent of the tuition fees and include a € 7,000 annual allowance to cover the student’s living expenses

5. University Of Helsinki International Student Scholarship Grant

The University of Helsinki is offering a Scholarship Programme to Master’s degree students in the form of an International Student Grant. The institution provides 50 start-up grants to eligible applicants who gained admission to study any course at MSc level at the University of Helsinki and it is valid for three years.

Scholarship Benefits: The value of the each grant is between €1000 to €1500. The financial aid does not cover living expenses, so students are expected to handle their own accommodation.

6. United Nations University – WIDER PhD Internships

The United Nations University-WIDER PhD Internship affords doctorate degree students an opportunity to utilize its resources and facilities for their PhD dissertation or thesis research.

It also creates room for them to work with UNU-WIDER researchers in areas of mutual interest. PhD interns are expected to prepare one or more research papers and present a seminar on their research findings during their time in Finland.

Scholarship Benefits: A grant is provided to beneficiaries to cover the cost of travel to and from the location of your PhD granting institution, medical insurance and a monthly stipend of € 1,600 to cover living expenses.

PhD interns typically spend 3 consecutive months at UNU-WIDER and are expected to return to their home institution afterward.

7. Aalto University Scholarship

At Aalto University there is a scholarship program for international students undertaking Master’s studies that are taught entirely in English. The scholarships are based on merit and the duration is for a maximum of two academic years.

Scholarship Benefits: The scholarship covers tuition fee, living and studying expenses for the recipient and they come in three categories.

Gold: Full Scholarship of 16,000 Euros (8,000 Euros each for two academic years)
Silver: Full Scholarship of 16,000 Euros (8,000 Euros each for two academic years)
Bronze: 50 percent scholarship of 8,000 Euros (4,000 Euros each for two academic years).