As a member of the Student Union (opens in a new tab), you are entitled to a student ID card and the benefits and services that come with it. ISYY, the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland is responsible for looking out for the interests and rights of the university’s students.
Ordering a student card
The student card is your official student ID. The student card also gives you access to several benefits and discounts.
Students who have registered as present and have paid the Student Union (ISYY) membership fee may order a student card. There are several student card options you can use (Tuudo, Slice or Frank). Most students download a digital student card to their phones, but if you want, you can also order a plastic student card. You can order your student card from Tuudo, Frank or Slice (opens in a new tab). Digital student cards are free of charge.
For exchange students it is voluntary if they want to join the student union or not. If you have decided not to join the student union and have thus not paid the student union membership fee, you can use Tuudo.
If you have trouble ordering the card, please contact the customer service of the company you are trying to order the student card from. Here you can find frequantly asked questions about the Frank student card (opens in a new tab) and here the Slice student card FAQs (opens in a new tab). NOTE! When making the order, make sure you spell your name exactly as it is written in the student register (you can check the spelling in Peppi). If you use special characters that are not used in Peppi or you do not use special characters although they are used in Peppi, your order might not go through.
If you order a basic plastic student card, you need to collect a term sticker from ISYY’s office (opens in a new tab). Without a valid term sticker on your student card, you are not entitled to discounts and other benefits for students. If you chose the free digital app, you do not need to collect a term sticker.
Student benefits
You are entitled to student benefits starting from the beginning of the academic term on 1 August (in the spring term starting from 1 January).
Meals
By showing your student ID card, you will get a discount from the lunch prices based on Kela’s meal subsidy in most campus restaurants. See the UEF website for more detailed information on campus restaurants and lunch menus (opens in a new tab).
Before you receive your student card, you can get a meal discount at the campus restaurants with your study certificate which you receive with the confirmation email once your registration is done. The student discount is available at the university’s student restaurants with the study certificate until the end of October, after which the student ID card must be presented to receive the discount.
Travel
By showing your student ID card, you are also eligible for a discount on train tickets and intercity bus tickets.
The amount of discount offered to students may vary from one transport service operator to the next. Be sure to check what the discount price for students is from the transport service operator’s own website.
Information on the train and the local bus services in the campus cities:
- VR, Finnish Railways (opens in a new tab). The trains from Helsinki to Joensuu and to Kuopio leave from the Central Railway Station.
- Matkahuolto, long distance bus services (opens in a new tab). The busses to Joensuu/Kuopio leave from the Helsinki city centre (Kamppi central bus station).
- Onnibus, long distance bus services (opens in a new tab). The Onnibus Busses leave from the Helsinki city centre (Kamppi central bus station).
- Information on public transportation student discounts in Joensuu (opens in a new tab)
- Information on public transportation student discounts in Kuopio (opens in a new tab)
Other discounts
Your student ID card also entitles you to discounts in many stores in your campus city. The discounts are not always advertised separately so do ask at the stores if they offer a student discount before paying. You can also find a wide selection of student discounts on the Frank website (opens in a new tab) or Slice (opens in a new tab) website. Frank discounts are available in the Frank app and Slice discounts in the Slice app.
Healthcare
The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) (opens in a new tab) provides health services to all bachelor’s and master’s degree students who have paid the healthcare fee and registered as present.
NOTE! Exchange students are not entitled to use the services of the FSHS.
Visit Kamu for general information on student healthcare services.
Healthcare fee for students in higher education
The Act on Student Health Services for Students in Higher Education (in Finnish) (opens in a new tab) came into effect on 1 January 2021. Higher education students who are entitled to use the services of the FSHS must pay the healthcare fee for students in higher education.
Students who register as present and are completing a bachelor’s or master’s level degree in a Finnish institute of higher learning are required to pay the fee. The fee must be paid directly to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland) every semester you register as present. Kela will not bill you for the fee, you must pay it unprompted. For information on the healthcare fee for students in higher education (opens in a new tab) as well as instructions for paying the healthcare fee (opens in a new tab), visit the Kela website.
FSHS services and service units
Here you can find the FSHS service units and their opening hours (opens in a new tab).
To make an appointment, you can use the SelfChat or call the service unit of your campus city for an assessment of your need for treatment.
You can also contact the FSHS through their online service. The FSHS Self online service (opens in a new tab) is an online service for students. Through Self you can keep you address information up to date, manage your appointments, chat with healthcare professionals and access remote consultation. Make sure to register as a Self-user as soon as possible.