Student financial aid in Åland
In Åland, the Åland Labour Market and Student Service Authority (AMS) is responsible for student financial aid. You are entitled to apply for Åland study grant for studies in or outside Åland if you have been permanently resident in Åland for a sufficiently long time before starting your studies.
You can find more information on e.g. student discounts and what it is like to study in Åland on the page Guide: Studying in Åland.
Types of student financial aid
There are a number of different forms of financial aid that you can apply for, the most common being student grant. In the menu tabs you can read about the different types available in Åland.
You can receive study grant from the month after you turn 17, if you have completed compulsory education and are enrolled in a programme that meets the requirements for student financial aid. If you are 17 years old, you can also apply for a supplement to the study grant based on your parents' income. Read more on the AMS webpage on the Supplement for 17-year-olds.
The amount of your study grant depends on factors such as your age, the type of school you are studying at, how and where you live, your rate of study and whether you have other income. Study grant is taxable income, but if you have no other income you do not pay tax on your study grant.
Read more about study grant and its amount if you live alone or with parents on the AMS webpage on Study grant.
Adult study grant is an alternative to the regular study grant for those who have reached the age of 30. It is your taxable income that determines how much you receive in adult study grant.
You can read more about adult study grant and get an estimate of the current amount on the AMS webpage on Adult study grant.
If you meet the conditions for study grant or adult study grant, you may be eligible for housing allowance. Housing allowance is 80% of housing costs with a maximum amount of €269 per month. Read more about housing allowance for Åland students on the AMS webpage on housing allowance.
Finnish students who rent their accommodation in Åland apply for housing supplement through Kela. Read more on the page Housing allowance in Åland.
If you have custody of children under the age of 18, you can apply for provider supplement as part of your student financial aid. Read more about the provider supplement and the current amount on the AMS website.
A student loan is not a grant but a bank loan that must be repaid. You apply for a provincial guarantee for your student loan from AMS and agree with the bank on how the loan will be managed as regards drawdown, interest and repayment. The Government of Åland will guarantee your loan if AMS grants you a loan guarantee and you do not need any other security.
You can read more about the amount of the student loan, interest, repayment etc. on the AMS webpage on student loans.
Maximum length of student financial aid
Åland student financial aid for higher education and university studies can be granted for a maximum of 55 months. The period starts to be counted from the first day you draw financial aid for higher education studies.
Financial aid for other studies, for example at upper secondary schools and folk high schools, can be granted for a maximum of 36 months from the month you turn 20. Adult study grant is granted for a maximum of 27 months.
Read more about the maximum number of months of student financial aid on the AMS website.
Entitlement to student financial aid
If you come to Åland to study from another Nordic country, you will normally receive student financial aid from your home country. To be entitled to Åland student financial aid if you move from a Nordic country or are an EU citizen, you need to have lived in Åland for at least 6 months during the last 12 months before you start your studies, according to the population register. The purpose of the move needs to have been something other than studies, and if you are a national of an EU country you must also have a valid EU registration.
If you have moved to Åland from outside the Nordic countries or the EU, you need either a continuous or permanent residence permit or an EU residence permit in order to be eligible for Åland student financial aid.
Read more about entitlement to student financial aid on the AMS webpage on Good to know about student financial aid and Who is entitled to Åland student financial aid.
Disqualifying benefits
You are not entitled to student financial aid at the same time as receiving certain other so-called disqualifying benefits. This means that you cannot get student financial aid at the same time as e.g. sickness allowance, old-age pension, rehabilitation subsidy etc. Child benefit and disability allowance are not disqualifying benefits and do not affect eligibility for student financial aid.
Find out more about the most common disqualifying benefits and other important information on the AMS website.
Applying for student financial aid
Once you have confirmed your study place, you can apply for student financial aid through the AMS digital student service portal Stuart. Use your banking codes to log in, and guardians can use their banking codes to apply for financial aid for an underage child.
More information
On the Info Norden website you can find information about student financial aid in the other Nordic countries and which authorities to contact if you have questions.
Please fill in our contact form if you have any questions or if you have encountered an obstacle in another Nordic country.
NB! If you have questions regarding the processing of a specific case or application, or other personal matters, please contact the relevant authority directly.