Get adult education allowance

Please note that according to the Government proposal, the Act of Discontinuation adult education allowance would enter into force as soon as possible, but no later than 1st of June 2024. Read about its effects on applying for adult education allowance on the page News concerning the adult education allowance.

Do you want to learn new specific skills or develop your expertise extensively? Adult education allowance could be the right choice for you. In this section, you will find instructions on how you can apply.

To get started, find out whether the allowance suits your situation and study plans. When you are ready, fill in the application. The easiest way to apply is via our online service. Remember to keep track of your earnings and notify us if your situation changes during the allowance period.

If the applicant is an employee, the employer also has certain duties during the application process and allowance period. Read more below.

The application process in a nutshell

First, plan your study path and find out if education with adult education allowance would meet the needs of you and your workplace or business. You can succeed by working together with all parties in your workplace. Click on the titles and see the steps in a nutshell!

Find out what education or training would suit your needs, plan your study path and apply for studies.

Find out whether adult education allowance suits your plans.

Discuss and agree on study leave with your employer.

Accept the offer to study and enroll.

Discuss with your employer about who will be your contact person in adult education allowance matters.

Make sure you have enough work history to be entitled to the allowance and get a certificate of student status.

Apply for a right to the allowance by submitting an allowance right application in our online service. Your employer will be sent a request to fill in the employer form.

Wait for the approval and then apply for the payment of the allowance.

If necessary, request a revised tax card for the benefit and upload it in the online service.

Apply for the allowance retrospectively on a monthly basis in our online service. Estimate whether your studies have progressed enough and fill in the application.

You can cancel an already granted allowance period if there is a change in your situation. The canceled allowance period will not be transferred directly to the extension of the allowance period already granted, but you can apply for an additional allowance period with a new allowance right application. You can also refund the allownce you have already been paid if your earnings change during the allowance period. For more information about what to do if your situation changes, see This is what to do if your situation changes page.

If your study leave or studies are interrupted, or if there are any major changes in your employment contract that could affect the payment of the allowance, notify us and we will see what we should do.

If your studies last longer than you estimated on your first application, you can apply for more allowance by submitting a new allowance right application. The maximum duration of the allowance period is 15 months.

Discuss study leave with your employee.

Accept the study leave and find out how it affects the employee’s annual holidays.

Agree with your employee who will be the contact person in adult education allowance matters.

Arrange a replacement for the duration of the employee’s study leave.

Complete the employer form in our online service.

If your employee notifies you that the employee’s Incomes Register data needs to be corrected, make the relevant corrections and provide proof of the employee’s earnings.

If your employee has cancelled the allowance and applies for it again later, fill in the employer form in the online service again.

If there are any changes in the employee’s studies or employment situation that affect the payment of the allowance, respond to the requests for information and update the plans with your employee.

Find out what education or training would suit your needs, plan your study path and apply for studies.

Find out whether adult education allowance suits your plans.

Plan how you will reduce your business income by one third during the allowance period.

Accept the offer to study and/or enroll.

If you wish, you can apply for a preliminary decision to determine how much work history you have and whether your studies are eligible for adult education allowance. Fill in an application in our online service.

Get a certificate of your student status for the application. If you have started your business recently and you do not have income from it in the last confirmed taxation, you can attach a document on your business income for the last 12 months.

Apply for the entrepreneur’s adult education allowance in our online service.

We will start paying you the allowance once you receive a positive payment decision. You will receive a decision on your right to the entrepreneur’s adult education allowance annually after we have confirmed whether your business income has decreased during the allowance period.

Make sure that your business income decreases to a required level. You can cancel your allowance if your income or situation changes. Cancelled allowance will not be automatically available to you later, but you can submit a new application to claim it. The maximum duration of the allowance period is 15 months.

If you discontinue your studies or if there are any major changes in your situation that could affect the payment of your allowance, please notify us and we will see what we should do.

Instructions for applicants

Read our detailed instructions on what to do at different stages of the application process. We will help you every step of the way!

Before applying

Plan your studies and find out if you could be eligible for adult education allowance.

When applying

Online service helps you with filling the application.

During the allowance period

Track your income and credits, and adjust the allowance amount if needed. After a break you can apply again.

Important now

Please remember to attach a possible revised tax card for benefits to your profile information before submitting a payment request.
Please note that you can submit your initial application for adult education allowance no earlier than four months before the start of the adult education allowance period you are applying for.
Please note that income received during the allowance period is considered income at the time of payment, regardless of when you earned it. For example, if you work in 1.–14. November, but the salary for this will not be paid until December 15th, this salary will be considered as income for December and will affect the amount of adult education allowance paid for December.
Find more about the additional income and benefits that affect adult education allowance.

Estimated processing times

Allowance right application 7 days

Payment application 1 day

Full adult education allowance 0 days

Adjusted adult education allowance 0 days

Entrepreneur's adult education allowance 9 days

Preliminary decisions for entrepreneurs 1 day

Scholarship for qualified employee 8 days

Updated 25.4.2024

Experiences of adult education allowance

Adult education allowance has helped many employees and entrepreneurs to fit studies into their lives. Read customer stories.

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