According to the same source, the Ministry of Education and Culture has set up a working group to get ready to start paying the full cost of tuition fees for students from non-EU and non-EEA countries, as the government program differs, EU Helpers reports.
The working group is also thinking of reinstituting fees for applicants to universities, particularly for those who completed their study outside of the EU or EEA.
The objective is to end providing public assistance to overseas students who complete their degrees in Finland, according to a ministry communication to government negotiators. The action aims to free up resources for other students' education.
The choice was made in response to findings that almost half of international students do not want to remain in Finland after graduating, citing issues including a lack of employment opportunities, dim career prospects, and challenges assimilating into Finnish society as their primary reasons for doing so.
However, the Finnish Immigration Service has noted a considerable increase in the number of applications for immigration for job, family reunion, and educational purposes, making this nation one of the most sought-after in Europe.
According to a press release from the same organization, the increase in applications for residence for work purposes in 2023 is largely attributable to changes made to the law governing student residence permits, which now permit students to work and grant a residence permit for the duration of their degree programs.
90% of those who applied during the first half of the year were degree-seekers, and the bulk of them came from nations including China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Over 5,000 applications for residence permits for educational purposes were submitted in 2022, but the following year saw a 48 percent increase in those applications, indicating that more students had chosen Finland as their study location.
However, 95% of applications submitted by international students were approved, and those who weren't were typically turned down for lack of appropriate documentation of financial capability.
According to the Immigration Service, "The residence permit for studies requires that the student has sufficient financial resources to live in Finland and insurance to cover the costs of potentially necessary medical treatment in Finland."
Additionally, the immigration services noted that because non-EU students are not eligible for student financial aid, their tuition costs are higher than those of other students. However, because it may be valid for the entire length of the student's stay in the nation, the residence permit provided to this group of students has a longer validity duration.