The Finnish tuition fee experiment will come to end in the end of 2014. The reason is that the decree that has allowed the tuition fee trial will expire on 31 December 2014. At the same time, the tuition fee trial will end at Aalto University. Students who will be selected to masters’ programs in spring 2014 will no longer take part in the tuition fee trial, and they will not be charged fees, because the decree concerning the trial ends already in the end of the same year.

The decision does not affect the fees or scholarships of current Aalto students in any way. They will continue and finish their studies with the current conditions. Master’s students starting in the autumn of 2013 will pay tuition fees and receive scholarships until the end of the year of 2014, after which their last academic term is free and scholarships are not allocated. Students starting in the autumn of 2014 do not pay fees nor receive scholarships.

Aalto University’s Vice President Martti Raevaara emphasises that this does not mean that Aalto has decided to permanently discontinue fees for students coming from outside the EU and EEA area. ”The future of tuition fees in Finland is still open. If the fees are made possible at the legislative level also after the year of 2014, we will re-evaluate whether it is appropriate to introduce fees in some programmes” says Vice Rector Raevaara.

Aalto University Student Union AYY is satisfied with the decision to suspend the trial. ”We should now pause for a moment. Fee collection costs are higher than the income. In addition, fees deter international students from Aalto University. Tuition fee experiences of our neighbouring countries are not good and Finland has no reason to make the same mistakes”, says President of the Student Union Piia Kuosmanen.

Further information:

Martti Raevaara, Vice President of Aalto University, tel. 050 301 8692, martti.raevaara@aalto.fi

Hanna Sauli, Specialist, International Affairs, Aalto University Student Union, tel. 050 520 9446, hanna.sauli@ayy.fi