Study in Finland

Study – Tuition Free Education in Finland

OVERVIEW 

• Finland, officially known as the Republic of Finland, is ranked number 12 in the word, in terms of quality of life, with a score of 7.618 out of 10 in the quality of life index established by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The Reader’s Digest also finds Finland on the top of the list of 141 nations ranking according to a combination of factors that include air and water quality, respect for biodiversity, greenhouse-gas emissions, with social factors that include gross domestic product, access to education, unemployment rate and life expectancy.
• The country has a total area of 338,424 square kilometers or 130,596 square miles. In the latest estimate in 2011, Finland has a population of 5,388,417 spread at a density of 16 inhabitants per square kilometer or 40 inhabitants per square mile. The country has 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands. It is one of the few countries with post-glacial rebound meaning, its surface area is expanded annually at a rate of 7 square kilometers or 2.7 square miles.

LANGUAGE

• Finland has two national languages.  These are the Finnish and the Swedish languages. Meanwhile, the country also holds officially accepted minority languages that include Sami languages, Romani, Finnish Sign Language and the Karelian language. Immigrant languages include Russian, Estonian, English, German, French, Somali, Arabic, Chinese, Kurdish, and Albanian. Among the immigrant languages, the top three most used are English, German and French.

CLIMATE     

• Finland experiences both a maritime and a continental climate due to its geographical location. The weather is influenced by the direction of air flow. In the northern part of the country, the winters are long and cold, while the summers are very warm but brief. Meanwhile, the southern part of the country has milder winters and pleasant summers. The far northern portion of the country experiences Polar Nights, where the sun never completely sets during winter for almost two months. During winter, the average temperature drops to -4 degrees Celsius between the months of December and February. The coldest month of the year is January when temperature often drops to -15 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Finland was in 1987 when it dropped to -34.3 degrees Celsius.

COST OF LIVING   

• Finland consumer goods including, groceries, transportation, utilities, and restaurants is 3 percent more expensive than the standard of living in New York City. Meanwhile, rent and mortgage expenses are 60 percent lower relative to the same city. Local purchasing power is almost the same as that of the US.
  

  

EDUCATION           

• Finland ranks number 13 among the preferred nations for international studies. However, the country offers only some programs in English. This brings the country down the notch on the list of preferred countries by international students. Studies show that the primary factor being considered by international students in selecting a foreign school is the language of instructions. Data gathered from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics for trends and dramatic growths of international student transfers.
• However, Finland’s strength lies in the fact that the country offers no tuition fees for either international or domestic students. This fact keeps the country in the list of top destinations for international students.
• There higher education institutions are small enough to operate functionally and effectively. They are all internationally oriented with special regional features, and you can choose between very different study environments ranging from larger urban campuses to close-to-nature campuses.

SCHOLARSHIPS

• Higher education is the route to go if you want to live a better life. You can learn how to get free tuition in Finland if your heart is set on pursuing a higher degree. Although tuition in Finland is actually free to international students, you will still need to pay for other expenses. You have to plan for details such as where you will live and how you will eat. However, tuition is normally the bulk of an education and you will get that for free while attending a school in Finland.
• Finnish polytechnics and universities do not charge any tuition fees in their Bachelor’s degree programmes, or Doctoral level studies. Several Master’s programmes do not charge a tuition fee, either.
• However, some Master’ programmes may have tuition fees for non-EU/EEA nationals. You need to check the tuition fee policy at the institution offering the Master’s programme.

Financial Requirements

• A non-EU student must prove that he/she is able to support his or her living in Finland during the studies. The required sum of money is 500 euros per month or 6000 euros per year. See also Visa and residence permit.

Applying for College in Finland

• The first step for you in this endeavor is to actually apply to the school. You will need to apply to a certain program that a school in Finland offers and this may be the hardest part of this whole process. You must meet the requirements or else you are not eligible to apply. The level of education you wish to receive is also important information to know when applying for a scholarship with a school in Finland.

Tuition Free Education in Finland

There are several higher level institutions located in Finland. Finland is actually deemed as one of Europe’s most well supplied countries for schools and this means you have a lot of options. The higher learning institutions located in Finland are broken down into Universities and Polytechnics. The higher institutions are also broken into regions:

• Study in Helsinki
• Studying in Tampere Region
• Study in Vaasa
• Study in the North

First Steps – for Bachelors Admission

#1 Visit the Program Database

• http://www.studyinfinland.fi/study_options/study_programmes_database
• You can search a comprehensive database that allows you to see the different International study options available to you.

# 2 Choose your Desire Course of Study

• Search around, through the database  until you find a course that you are interested in.
• Your particular area may be located in one of the regions and not in another.
• Your search will lead you to a particular school and there you will find application instructions.
• Make sure you check the eligibly requirements so you know if you are qualified are not

# 3 Apply

The main admission sites are:

• www.admissions.fi (for Bachelor’s level studies at polytechnics) and
• www.universityadmissions.fi (for Bachelor’s and Master’s level studies at universities).
•  Some programs however have a different application route, for example, you may need to apply directly to the institutions.

Please note there are only certain applications periods to apply. If the program is not currently open, that’s okay – take the time to prepare an excellent application.

This is one of the best undergraduate opportunties for students from around the world – for other great options check out this link