Adult education in Finland

Education is available for adults at all levels of education. Adult students can also pursue any diploma-oriented education designed for young persons. Many educational institutions also offer separate adult education with courses taught in the evening and online. Adults can study at work, alongside employment or in their own time.

Financial support for adult education

The Education Fund pays adult education allowance to working adults. Adult education allowance is only available for qualifications and education at a Finnish educational institution.

You can get the allowance if:

• you have been employed or have worked as a self-employed person in Finland for at least eight years,
• you have been in your current employment relationship or have been a full-time self-employed person for at least one year,
• you are on study leave from your employment,
• you are not receiving any other financial support for your studies.

Applications for adult education allowance are made to the Education Fund You can also apply to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) for a guarantee for a study loan.

If you are not entitled to adult education allowance, you can apply for general student financial aid from Kela.

Alternatively, you can finance your studies with Kela’s job alternation compensation. If you are unemployed, you can apply for unemployment benefit for self-motivated studies. Also take a look at Kela’s vocational rehabilitation supporting the integration into work.