You can also apply for exchange studies outside exchange programmes, with a freemover or visiting student status. It is a good idea to chart the international contacts of your department/school when planning an independent student exchange. Many students have found great study and internship locations independently.
It takes initiative to apply for independent studies abroad: the applicants themselves are responsible for the communication with the host university, the application process, the practical arrangements, and the costs of studying abroad, such as potential tuition fees. Tuition fees and application procedures vary between universities, fields of study, and countries. It takes time to arrange the practical matters, so you should start planning your freemover exchange at least a year before the planned start of your exchange studies. The longer and better you prepare for studies abroad, the more successful they will generally be.
Freemover mobility grant
UEF International Mobility Services may award mobility grants for outgoing freemover studies. The duration for freemover exchange must be one or two semesters, and grants are awarded from autumn semester 2023 onwards. The grant amount depends on the host country and the exchange duration.
Europe: 700 euros (one semester) or 1000 euros (two semesters, i.e., full academic year)
Outside of Europe: 1000 euros (one semester) or 1500 euros (two semesters, i.e., full academic year)
Applying for the mobility grant
Students apply for the mobility grant by submitting an application in SoleMOVE. You may find instructions on how to compile and submit your application on Kamu. Students must apply for the grant a minimum of one month before the exchange begins. Grants will not be awarded retroactively.
The application form for the grants will be open throughout the academic year, from 1 June to 31 May, and decisions are made continuously. Processing applications may take 2-3 weeks, even longer during holidays, so students are advised to apply for the grant as soon as possible once they have received confirmation from the host university.
The following documents must be included in the application:
- Transcript of records (from Peppi)
- Learning Agreement approved and signed by the student’s departmental coordinator at UEF
- a Letter of Acceptance from the host university or other document confirming the exchange placement from the host university
Eligibility requirements for the grant
- The student must be registered as present at the University of Eastern Finland throughout their exchange
- NB! Registration as present includes paying the Student Union fee and Kela healthcare fee (if applicable)
- The student has completed a minimum of one academic year’s studies before the exchange begins
- The minimum duration of the exchange is 3 months
- The student must have received approval for the exchange from their department at UEF
- The student must compile a Learning Agreement (LA, i.e., exchange study plan), and the LA must be signed by the student’s departmental coordinator at UEF
- The host university or institution is not located in the student’s home country or country of residence
The grant may be awarded for exchanges in the following institutions/networks (examples)
- Universities and higher education institutions outside of UEF’s networks or partners
- Universities and higher education institutions that are among UEF’s networks and partners, but for which the student would study as a visiting student/freemover at due to lack of available placements
- ISEP Direct: student pays the tuition fee for the ISEP Direct university and other ISEP fees (Application fee, Acceptance fee)
The grant may not be awarded for exchanges in the following institutions/networks (examples)
- Host institutions that are located in the student’s home country or country of residence
- Exchange programmes that charge fees from students, for example Asia Exchange (excluding ISEP Direct)
- Host institutions that are among UEF’s networks or partners and to which the student has already received a placement from UEF and exchange programme-specific mobility grant (bilateral exchange, ISEP Exchange, Erasmus+, Nordplus etc.)
- If you have been accepted for exchange by UEF, you may not receive Freemover grants on top of another grant from UEF
- Grants are not awarded for traineeships abroad
Other information
Announcements on international options outside the scope of University of Eastern Finland’s exchange programmes are published on the O365 noticeboard Yammer:
UEF Yammer: Kansainvälistymismahdollisuuksia opiskelijoille // Internationalisation offers for students