Student financial aid in Åland

Study grant is the most common form of student financial aid and can be awarded for studies that meet the criteria for student financial aid and following completion of basic education. The amount paid out depends, amongst other things, on age, living arrangements, pace of study, education and any income. 

The studies must run for at least eight consecutive weeks and be of sufficient scope in terms of credits or teaching hours. There are also performance requirements for the continued award of study grant.

If the student is 17 years old, it is possible to apply for a supplement to the study grant based on the guardians’ income. Study grant and the supplement can be awarded from the month following the student’s 17th birthday.

Read more about study grant, the amounts and the supplement for 17-year-olds on the AMS website.

Adult study grant is an alternative to standard study grant for persons aged 30 or over. The grant can be awarded for full-time or part-time studies and is normally paid for a maximum of 27 months. The amount is based on previous taxable income and is calculated based on your income in the last six or twelve months before your studies. There is an income limit to be taken into account while receiving adult study grant, and in order to continue receiving the grant, performance requirements must also be met. 

Find out more about adult study grant and get an estimate of the current amounts on the AMS webpage Adult study grant.

Anyone who is entitled to a study grant or an adult study grant may also be entitled to housing allowance. Housing allowance is not taxable income and covers 80 per cent of housing costs, up to a maximum of 269 euros per month. 

Housing allowance is granted for the days on which studies are undertaken and is subject to the course meeting the requirements for student financial aid, including that the studies last for at least eight consecutive weeks and are of sufficient scope.

To receive housing allowance, details of your accommodation must be submitted along with your application. Housing benefit is not granted for owner-occupied homes or co-operative flats outside Åland and Finland. Find out more on the AMS webpage Housing allowance or on the page Housing allowance in Åland.

The provider supplement is included in student financial aid and can be claimed by persons who receive study grant or adult study grant and who have custody of a child under the age of 18. Student financial aid is granted for the days when studies are undertaken during a student financial aid month. If the studies only run for part of the month, the grant is granted only for the study days, provided that the education as a whole is of sufficient scope. Find out more about the provider supplement and its current amount on the AMS website.

A student loan is not a grant but a bank loan that must be repaid. To take out a student loan, you must first apply to AMS for an Åland guarantee. The Government of Åland then acts as guarantor, and no other security is usually required. After applying for the Åland guarantee, the loan is arranged through an approved bank. Repayments and interest are then managed as agreed with the bank. 

Find out more about student loan amounts, income limits, supplementary loans, interest rates, interest subsidies and repayment on the AMS webpage Student loans.