Parties sharply divided on tuition fees for foreign university students

Centre supports, Greens oppose fees

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Proposals for special tuition fees to be levied on university students from outside Europe sharply divide Finland's Parliamentary parties. In sharply opposing camps are the Centre Party and the Greens - both of which address the issue in their Parliamentary election platforms.
      The Centre Party would impose tuition fees on students from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area. The party's chairman, Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, has often spoken in favour of charging fees for education exports as a way for institutions of higher education to earn more money.
     
The Greens feel that the fees would not attract more students from abroad to Finland.
      The Left Alliance is also opposed to the fees, but the Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats are ready to discuss the matter.
      There are more supporters of the idea in the National Coalition Party than among the Social Democrats, but the leaders of both parties say that the fees would be acceptable, if agreement is reached on a grant system.
      Minister of Education Tuula Haatainen (SDP) set up a committee to discuss the fee issue. The committee proposed in 2005 that an annual fee of EUR 3,500 - EUR 12,000 should be imposed on those from outside the EU and EEA.
      Minister of Education Antti Kalliomäki (SDP) did not promote the issue, noting that the scholarship system remains unfinished. According to Kalliomäki, the fees can be taken into use only if they advance internationalisation in Finnish universities. He also emphasised that they must not be allowed to be a first step for introducing tuition fees on Finns.
     
Student organisations have opposed such fees for the same reason. However, Lasse Männistö, chairman of the National Union of Students in Finland, feels that the international dimension is the most important reason to oppose the fees: free tuition is one way that a remote country like Finland can attract foreign students, and possibly encourage them to stay here after graduation.
      "For instance, when Denmark introduced tuition fees, the number of international applicants declined considerably."
      Männistö does not feel that the fees would be a major source of revenue for the universities.
      "The fees would not bring significant amounts of extra funding for the universities for English-language instruction, for instance, because a great part of it would be spent on administrative costs and organising the scholarship system."
     
Export of education services would not, in Männistö's opinion, require the implementation of tuition fees; he feels that the possibilities of agreements between countries on education to order should be clarified first.
      Currently, no fees are levied for training leading up to an academic degree.
      Statistics Finland reports that in 2005 a total of nearly 9,000 foreign citizens were enrolled at Finnish universities.
      About half of the foreign students are from outside the EU and EEA. In 2005 there were 2,700 students from Asian countries studying for a degree in Finland.
      Although the number of foreigners hoping to study in Finland has increased considerably, they constitute only about two per cent of all students seeking a basic degree at Finnish universities.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  No tuition fees for foreign students coming from outside EU and EEA (3.4.2006)
  Call for annual tuition fees of up to EUR 12,000 for foreign students from outside EU and EEA (24.8.2005)
  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)

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