According to the Eurostudent VII survey (2019), 24.8% of university of applied sciences students in Finland have children. This number has been on the rise, as people from all walks of life are studying. For example, people no longer necessarily go straight from secondary school to higher education and stay in the same field until retirement.
Having a child while studying often means financial and time management challenges. Here are some tips compiled by METKA for students with children at Metropolia:
Completing your studies
You have the right to register as absent from your studies if you are unable to attend classes due to having a child. Absence due to pregnancy or parental leave does not count against your study time and does not count towards the absence cap (normally, you can only be absent for one academic year at Metropolia).
Universities of applied sciences are under no obligation to design courses to take account of the special needs of pregnant people or people with children. However, everyone has the right to be absent when they are ill themselves or caring for a sick child. There are exceptions in the number of absences allowed or from the objectives of the course, but flexibility can be obtained by substituting lessons e.g. with extra tasks. Please inform the teachers whose classes you will have to miss and ask for alternative arrangements.
Students can reserve available spaces for their own use through Tuudo. So independent study is also possible, for example in the evening. If you are pregnant, your institution is obliged to organize your studies so that you are not exposed to dangerous substances during pregnancy.
You can apply for extra time to complete your studies. Extra time is automatically granted for one year over the normal duration of studies, after which you can apply for discretionary extention. In this case, you must have a realistic plan to complete your studies.
If you find it difficult to combine family life and studies, please contact e.g. FSHS, Metropolia’s student well-being services and your study advisor.
Financing studies
During parental leave, you can study or work part-time without it affecting your parental allowance. If you only work on Sundays and public holidays, your earnings will not affect your parental allowance. If you work up to five hours a day, you can get partial parental allowance. If you work more than five hours a day, you are not entitled to parental allowance.
If caring for your child does not affect your studies, you can get a study allowance on top of your parental allowance. However, if your studies are full-time, i.e. you do not care for your child at the same time, you should inform Kela. This will ensure that you get the right amount of parental allowance.
You can also claim child care allowance and study grant at the same time if you study and look after your child at home at the same time. Please note, however, that the child care allowance is income that counts towards the annual income limits for study grant.
Please also note that you need to progress by an average of 5 credits per month and 20 credits per semester if study grant is paid to you. However, the period of study eligible for government guarantee for a student loan may be extended because of parenthood.
If you are the guardian of a minor child, you can receive a provider supplement of €122.05/month in addition to the €279.38 study grant, at least until the end of 2023. The number of children and the person with whom the child lives do not affect the amount of the provider supplement. It is not possible to apply for this allowance, but Kela will automatically grant it once the information is available in the Population Information System.
As a student, you are entitled to general housing allowance under the same conditions as everyone else. The housing allowance is paid jointly to the whole household. After the birth of your child, you should apply for a review of your housing allowance. The amount of the allowance may change as the size of your household increases and your income changes.
For now, students with children may also be eligible for an adult education allowance, provided they meet the conditions, such as a period of employment. You cannot receive adult education allowance and Kela study benefits at the same time. If you receive a negative decision from the Employment Fund, you can then apply for a Kela study grant.
The government is proposing changes to the study grant. According to the plan there would we an increase in the provider supplement. The new amount would be 141.63 e/month and the change is expected to happen during 2024.
Contact METKA if:
…for example, you cannot make up for an absence due to a child’s illness with an extra task and you are about to fail a course. Students with children are bound by the same learning objectives, but there should be flexibility to complete studies.
…you find that there are inaccessible spaces on campus, for example for walking with a stroller. Educational institutions and e.g. lectures are open to all and there is no rule against bringing a child to class. However, please make sure that this is OK for the teacher and other students as well, as everyone must be able to work in peace.
…you have an idea for an event or activity that METKA could organize for students with families. Under METKA, you will be able to participate in club activities, sports activities (including self-organized activities at a time that suits you), relax and play board games in the Campus Lounge, and influence student affairs. For example, being a student representative does not commit you to a big workload.
Sources:
- Eurostudent Database
- Eurostudent VII – Opiskelijatutkimus 2019, Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriön julkaisu 2020
- Perheellisen opiskelijan taloudellinen ja sosiaalinen tuki, Suomi.fi
- Opas perheellisen opiskelijan tukemiseen, Suomen Ylioppilaskuntien Liitto 2022
- Kela
This post is also available in Suomi.