Call for annual tuition fees of up to EUR 12,000 for foreign students from outside EU and EEA

Finland wants more foreign students - grant system to ease burden on students themselves

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A working group of the Ministry of Education is calling for tuition fees of between EUR 3,500 and EUR 12,000 a year for foreign students from outside the European Union and European Economic Area.
      The proposal also calls for two systems of financial aid for the benefit of foreign students.
      Those doing post-graduate studies would be exempt from the fees.
     
The working group, which was set up by the Ministry of Education in March, submitted its proposal on Tuesday to Minister of Education Tuula Haatainen (SDP). She promised to bring the proposal to the government's budget talks.
      The aim of the fees would be to improve the quality of teaching in foreign languages, and to cover part of the costs of teaching non-Finns.
      The upper limit of the tuition fees increased from the previous proposed level of EUR 9,500 because in some fields - such as dentistry, medicine, and the arts - there is more individual instruction, and consequently the costs are higher.
     
Haatainen does not feel that the proposal would erode the principle of free higher education. She says that it will improve the position of Finnish institutions of higher learning on the international education market.
      "Without tuition fees, authentic internationalisation will not be achieved", Haatainen explained.
      She also said that the system is fair, because Finnish students also have to pay fees when they study outside the EU.
     
The working group also called for a system of grants, with an initial capital of EUR 7 million.
      The programme would be financed by the Ministry of Education, the Finnish National Fund for Research and Development (SITRA), and the Finnish business community.
      A separate programme of grants would be set up with the help of development cooperation funding, to support the studies of students from countries receiving Finnish development aid.
      "The implementation of tuition fees must not mean that some talented young student will stay away if nobody is found to finance the studies", Haatainen said.
      Finland hopes to double the number of foreign students studying for a graduate degree in Finland by 2010.
      There is also the hope that more of the foreigners studying in Finland would stay in Finland to work after graduation. Such students would be allowed to deduct some of their tuition fees in their taxation.
     
The proposed plan would take effect in August 2007. No fees would be required of students coming from other EU and EEA countries. Students from outside the area would also be exempt from the fees if they have lived in Finland or another EU country for two years before they start their studies in Finland.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  High tuition fees being planned for foreign university students in Finland (18.8.2005)
  Tuition fees for foreign students to be examined by ministerial committee (4.3.2005)
  Committee to study tuition fees for foreign students in Finland (24.2.2005)

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