Tuition fees and waivers

The first payment is made by using the link announced in the letter of acceptance. Copy the link from the letter of acceptance to browser and fill in payer and student information. Please make sure that you complete the Studyinfo Learner Number / ID and Student name in exact form as stated in the Student Agreement and the Letter of acceptance. After filling in the form select “Pay” to go to the online payment service. After the payment you will receive confirmation and receipt of the payment to the email provided in the payer’s information.

The next payment links will be sent to your email during the academic year by the coordinator.

Online payment forms and methods

UEF uses online payment system “Kongressi” for the payments. Possible payment methods are:

• ePayments to Finnish banks
• Credit card payments
• MobilePay
• PayPal

Issues with the online payment

We recommend using the online payment option but if that is not possible, you may ask for an invoice. In that case, and in other issues related to the payments please contact your programme coordinator.

NB! Each installment must be completely paid by the concerning due date. The university does not accept payments in cash.

Early Bird deduction

The University of Eastern Finland will also grant an Early Bird tuition fee deduction of 500 € to new students who:

• 1) accept the study place in Studyinfo, and
• 2) pay the tuition fees online within three weeks of the date the results are published
  • for Master’s students starting in autumn 2023 by 21 April 2023,
  • for Bachelor’s students by 23 June 2023

This Early Bird deduction does not apply to Erasmus Mundus and joint degree programmes.

• Early Bird payment can only be made online (invoice is not possible).
• It is student’s responsibility to ensure that the university has received the payment by the given deadline and UEF is not responsible if the student cannot make the payment online or there are technical issues with the payment system.
• To make sure that the payment is made by the given deadline we recommend starting the payment process already a few days prior to the given deadline.
• The Kongressi online system will count the Early Bird deduction to the online payment form automatically until the given deadline. This first payment is made by using the link announced in the letter of acceptance.

Deferring your studies (first year)

According to the Universities Act, a new student studying for a degree may register as absent in the first academic year for the entire academic year or for autumn or spring term only for a legal (statutory) reason. Please, find more information from Kamu Registration instructions (opens in a new tab).

Statutory reason: In case you have already paid the tuition fee, you have two options: 1) you may keep the fee at the university account or 2) ask for a payment refund.

Statutory reason: If you have already paid the tuition fee with the Early Bird deduction and you must defer – it is possible to keep the fee at the university account for one year and it can be used as an (autumn) semester payment. However, if the payment is refunded, it will cancel the Early Bird deduction and the tuition fees will be charged normally.

Please, see the UEF´s refund policy below.

Refund policy

The Student may be eligible for a refund of the first instalment of the tuition fee with the following conditions:

• Statutory reasons
• Student has been conditionally admitted and the condition is not met; the study place is thus cancelled,
• the Student has submitted the residence permit application by 31st July but has not been granted a residence permit in Finland
• the Student’s residence permit status changes before the beginning of the academic year (1 August) at the university and, according to the new residence permit, the student is no longer required to pay fees.
• the university is unable to offer the degree programme that the student has been accepted.

The refund is not possible if the Student has already registered as being present.

• The refund must be applied before the end of September of the year the Student is accepted to the University of Eastern Finland.
• The Student must apply for a refund themselves, and if the student is late for the given deadline (end of September), the University has no obligation to return the tuition fee.
• The refund policy takes into consideration the Student´s personal reasons only. The refund policy does not apply if the reasons are not related directly to the Student but third parties e.g., family members, friends or other relatives.

A change in the Student’s permit of residence

If there is a change in the Student’s permit of residence, the influence of this change to payments of the Student will take effect from the beginning of the following academic term.

The Student must provide a Finnish residence permit as proof for University’s decision-making. The already paid tuition fee will not be refunded. If the Student’s residence permit or citizenship status changes during the two-year programme, the Student is required to provide the Programme coordinator with proof of the new status.

Student graduates before the actual ending of the Programme

If the Student graduates before the actual ending of the Programme, e.g., in three semesters, the University does not return tuition fees or any parts of them.If the student has completed all their studies for the degree before the end of the programme, e.g., in Master’s degree studies in three semesters (by 30 November), in which case they do not have to pay the fee for the fourth semester. However, the university does not refund tuition fees that have already been paid.

Students selected 2023:

Deferring the tuition waiver, second study year

The student who has already started their studies can defer the tuition waiver only for:

• a statutory reason
• Force Majeure situation affecting the Student directly

If the reason for registering as absent is not a statutory reason or a Force Majeure situation, the tuition waiver will not be continued but the study right will remain.

Force Majeure situation means an event occurring after signing the Agreement, which the Party could not reasonably have taken into account at the time of the conclusion of the Agreement and which prevents or delays the Party from fulfilling of its obligations under the Agreement or makes the fullfilment there of unreasonably difficult and which cannot be overcome without unreasonable loss of time or cost, shall constitute an event of force majeure.

An event of force majeure shall include: a death of close family member, war, acts of God, interruption of distribution of energy, fire or any other reason having as severe and unusual effects beyond the control of the Party.

Tuition waiver and absence for a legal reason

If the student has been absent for a legal (statutory) reason (e.g. parental leave, illness or disability), the waiver is transferred by the corresponding amount, but the total number of semesters (4 or 6) does not change. Please note that you must supply documents that prove the absence is legally valid (a medical certificate or birth certificate is required to determine the condition).

NB! For example, if you fall ill and cannot study, you must take a sick leave especially in terms of long-term sicknesses (contact FSHS right away). Please note that the sick leave cannot be granted or documented afterwards. Remember also to inform your programme coordinator about the situation.

The Student must supply a free form application together with documents that prove that the absence is legally valid (e.g. the medical certificate). The decision of the extension of the tuition waiver is made case by case by the University.

Please, find more instructions for applying for an extension to the tuition waiver in KAMU (opens in a new tab).

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Students selected 2022 or earlier (does not apply the students selected in 2023)

Delay in the study start and the tuition waiver

If the student has not completed a minimum of 55 ECTS during the previous academic year according to the curriculum of the programme, the tuition waiver for the next academic year will be cancelled. The exception is a situation, when the student has not, due to reasons beyond the student’s control, been able to start their studies at the beginning of the academic year (f.ex. delay in the residence permit). In that case the student must inform the programme of their situation. Furthermore, the student is required to complete a minimum of 5 ECTS/month during that academic year.

The student has not been able to complete 55 ECTS during the first study year

If the Student has not completed a minimum of 55 ECTS during the first academic year according to the curriculum of the Programme, the tuition waiver for the second academic year will be cancelled. Only if the delays in completing studies have been due to Force Majeure or reasons beyond the student’s control the student need to apply for a waiver extention. Please, find more instructions for applying for an extension to the tuition waiver in KAMU (opens in a new tab).

For example, if you fall ill and cannot study, you must take a sick leave especially in terms of long-term sicknesses (contact FSHS right away). Please note that the sick leave cannot be granted or documented afterwards. Remember also to inform your programme coordinator about the situation.

The student will not graduate on time

The continuation of studies requires the payment of the tuition fee and registration as present, as instructed by the university.

• they study throughout the academic year, in which case the students pay the entire tuition fee per programme (100%)
• they study one semester, in which case the students pay half (50%) of the tuition fee;
• they study part of the semester (1-3 months), in which case the students pay one quarter (25%) of the tuition fee. (This option can be used if you are missing only a few credits, or you are finalizing the theses).

Please, contact your programme coordinator and discuss your options well in advance.

Delay in graduation due to Force Majeure or reasons beyond the student’s control

• Absence for a legal reason
• The university has not offer compulsory studies
• The student has completed all the courses and assignments required for the degree by the end of the academic year 31 July including a Master’s thesis/Bachelor’s thesis, but the study attainments have not been evaluated.

In all these cases, the first contact point is the programme coordinator.

Students liable for tuition fees can apply for an extension to the tuition waiver when the duration of studies with the tuition waiver is about to expire, and the student has not been able to study during the semester due to reasons beyond the student’s control.  Please, find the instructions for applying for an extension to the tuition waiver in KAMU (opens in a new tab).