The European Parliament elections, or EU elections, will take place between May and June. The National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK) and the national union of university students in Finland (SYL) have set out their electoral objectives for the 2024 EU elections. METKA signs the targets and in two articles we highlight targets that are particularly important for METKA.
This article deals with the objectives related to international student mobility. They are:
- Free education
- Increasing student mobility
- The amount of Erasmus+ grants for students
- The European student card
Studying within the European Union is often free for EU citizens. In countries where tuition fees are charged, the price should not be higher for international EU citizens than it is for local students. Similarly, in Finland, where tuition fees for Finns are not (yet) used, citizens of other EU countries cannot be charged tuition fees.
For several years now, universities have been able to charge tuition fees from non-EU students. The number of applications for residence permits by foreign students fell sharply in 2017 (23% compared to the previous reporting period). Non-EU and non-EEA students will have to pay tuition fees for studies starting on or after 1 August 2017. If tuition fees were extended to Finns and other EU citizens, not only would the number of applicants to higher education fall, but also mobility.
The tightening of the conditions for studying is probably one of the main reasons why exchange studies are no longer as attractive as they used to be. The scarcity of student grants, the reduction in the number of study grant months and the deadline for the student loan refund, which has become more important due to the loan emphasized nature of study time aid, are making the pace of study more intense. In 2016, the study grant was lowered and the maximum number of study grant months was reduced from 64 to 54. In addition, the amount of the state guarantee for student loans was increased. Since then the number of exchanges abroad has fallen.
It’s possible that the study time is prolonging just because a student wants to gain international experience and a broader range of skills. The purpose of an exchange is of course not to take a large amount of courses outside of your degree program and thus delay graduation. However it is common that the number of credits conducted during an exchange is smaller and all of the credits are not directly recognized as a part of the degree.
An Erasmus grant is an excellent incentive to study abroad. The amount of the grant varies depending on the differences in the cost of living between the country departure and the country of arrival, the number of grant applicants, the distance between countries and the availability of other support. However, Erasmus grant is not sufficient to cover living costs during the exchange period if you are unable to get affordable student accommodation. For example, in a popular exchange destination Netherlands, you may have to search for accommodation for a long time and take what is offered, even if the cost is too high. Also, you cannot get an Erasmus grant for an exchange period of less than 3 months. For example, if a nursing student wanted to do an internship abroad, they would have to do at least two internships in a row (10 weeks in total).
Even though Finnish students receive a study grant, a housing supplement and the possibility to raise an increased student loan (€800 per month, compared to the normal maximum of €650), studying abroad still often puts students in more debt. Working during the exchange period is not encouraged as it takes the time away from the studies and cultural experience.
A European student card is a card that would work equally in all EU countries and gives students all the benefits they would get in their home country. The idea of a European student card is profitable. However, it should be remembered that not all EU countries are at the same level of digitalisation. For example, METKA no longer offers physical student cards at all. Digital student cards are easy to use on a smartphone, but in other countries there might still be paper notes to proof your student status. The European student card must not weaken the existing solutions or have a negative impact on the activities of local student organizations.
EU elections are held simultaneously in all EU countries. Advance voting in Finland is from 29 May to 4 June 2024 and abroad from 29 May to 1 June 2024.By voting, you can influence who will represent Finland in the European Parliament for the next five years. In the 2019 EU elections, voter turnout in Finland as a whole was 42.7%. Well under 30% of young people and young adults (aged 18-34) voted. The European Parliament elects 720 MEPs, or MEPs who represent the citizens of the European Union at European level. Finland will elect 15 MEPs to the Parliament.
Sources:
- Lukukausimaksut vähentäneet ulkomaisten opiskelijoiden oleskelulupahakemuksia selvästi (Maahanmuuttovirasto 6.10.2017)
- Tiedote: Opiskelijavaihtojen määrä laskussa – SAMOK ja SYL julkaisivat ohjelman näiden lisäämiseksi (24.10.2023)
- Erasmus+: Opiskelu ulkomailla
- Korkeakouluopiskelijoiden EU-vaaliohjelma 2024
- Opintotuen historia, nykypäivä ja tulevaisuus (Ilpo Lahtinen, Kela 2021)
This post is also available in Suomi.