The Government's proposal to end adult education allowance has been submitted to the Parliament and we have updated the site News concerning the adult education allowance for example with information concerning studies that begin in the autumn of 2024.
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.
Adult education allowance can be adjusted to fit various situations in life. Let us know if your study plans or work situation changes or if you want to continue the same studies after a break, we will reorganize your adult education allowance case. Please refer to the instructions!
If there are any changes to your contact information, studies or employment when you are receiving adult education allowance, please let us know by following the instructions below.
Has your address or bank account number changed? Easily update the new information in the online service.
You do not need to update your address yourself because we will get your new address information directly from Digital and population data services agency.
You can let us know you new account number with the next payment application.
You can also provide updated tax card if you want to reduce or increase the withheld tax. 20 per cent of the adult education allowance is automatically withheld, but you can change the percentage with the updated tax card. The benefit requires an updated tax card, i.e. the tax card issued for salary or the multi-page decision on the tax card cannot be used for adult education allowance.
You can order a new tax card on the Tax Administration's website:
For the updated tax card, you will need information about the income paid to you during the current year and the amount withheld. Also estimate how much adult education allowance and other income you will receive during the rest of the year. You should also make an estimate of the amount of adult education allowance yourself, as you will only be informed of the amount of allowance in the decision on the payment application. Your amount of allowance may also vary if you earn income during the month of allowance.
From the decision on your initial application, you will see the full amount of your adult education allowance if you are not paid any other income during the month. You can use the calculator to estimate the impact of other incomes.
When your tax card is ready, you can download it from MyTax in PDF format. Attach it to your profile information in our online service, and you will receive it quickly and surely. Tax Administration will also send it to us by mail.
Through your own profile, you can also conveniently check when a tax card has been saved to your information. When Saved is displayed for the attached tax card on the online service, the allowance will be paid according to the new percentage.
Are you going to continue completing the same degree or part of the degree? Or, for example, have you received adult education allowance for core studies and are you now planning to complete intermediary studies?
If you want to continue studying the same studies using adult education allowance, you can easily apply for more allowance periods by submitting a new allowance right appilcation for adult education allowance in our online service.
It is possible to extend the allowance period if you have not yet been granted it for the maximum period of 15 months. Further information about the maximum duration of the adult education allowance is available on the Amount of adult education allowance and allowance period page.
An allowance right is always granted for specific studies. If the studies change, you have to apply for the allowance right again. We consider new studies to be ones where
Example, open university of applied sciences: You have previously done Bachelor of Business Administration path studies in an open university of applied sciences and then received the right to study as a degree student. Education leading to a degree is considered to be new studies. You have to apply for a new allowance right for the degree studies. Answer “No” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?”
Example, university of applied sciences: A master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree are considered different studies. If you have previously received adult education allowance for completing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Services and Health Care and you intend to complete a Master’s Degree in Social Services and Health Care next, you have to apply for the allowance right for the master’s degree with a new application. Answer “No” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?”
Example, open university: If you are doing individual courses at open university, all new courses are considered to be new studies. If, for example, you have previously received adult education allowance for three courses and you want to apply for allowance for three other courses after completing the first three, you have to submit a completely new application. If you have completed path studies or similar at an open university and become a degree student, you have to submit a new application for the degree studies in this case as well. Answer “No” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?”
If you are doing the same studies that you have previously received adult education allowance for, you can apply for an extension for the allowance right by submitting a new application. You can be granted additional allowance if you have not yet used all your allowance days.
Example, university of applied sciences: You have previously studied for a bachelor’s degree in nursing with adult education allowance. Your study leave has ended, you have worked in between and are now going back to study leave for the same degree. You can apply for more allowance for the same studies by submitting a new application. Answer “Yes” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?”
Example, university: In a university, a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree are considered to be the same studies if you have originally received the right to study for both degrees. For example, if you have first completed a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration degree and applied for allowance for it, you can apply for more allowance for the master’s studies by submitting a new application. Answer “Yes” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?”
Example, completing parts of a degree: Basic and intermediate studies of the same subject are considered to be the same education. For example, if you have previously received support for basic studies in psychology and now want to continue by doing intermediate studies in psychology, you can apply for an extension for the allowance right by submitting a new application. Answer “Yes” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?”
You can submit your allowance right application up to four months in advance and no more than six months afterwards. If you are submitting an application for an allowance right after the fact, we recommend submitting a payment application for the same period.
You can apply for more allowance for the same studies with an allowance right application. When you start filling in a new application, your previous education details are automatically retrieved to the application form. If you want to apply for allowance for these studies, answer “Yes” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?” On the other hand, if you want to apply for support based on some of your previous studies, answer “No” under “Are you applying for more allowance right for the same studies?” and use the following list to select the studies for which you want to apply for allowance.
Once your application has been processed, you will be notified of the decision by email. If we need more information to make a decision on the allowance, we will send you a message in the e-service. You can see the average processing times of applications on the Current affairs page, and you can follow the status of your applications in the My applications section of the e-service. Once you have received a positive decision on your application, you can apply for the payment of the allowance on a monthly basis with the adult education payment application.
Sometimes it can happen that the allowance period granted for an allowance right application has not been used up fully and you have allowance months left with payment that you have not applied for. In such situations, the decision reserves the leftover allowance days in a way, and the days cannot be granted automatically when you apply for more allowance.
If you do not intend to apply for allowance payment for the leftover periods, you can request to have them cancelled from your previous allowance right decision, in which case a corresponding number of payment days will be made available and an allowance right can be granted for the same length of period with a new application. Use the application form if you want to cancel the periods from your previous granted allowance.
When you study with adult education allowance, you can apply for allowance to be paid at your own pace, depending on how your studies are progressing. Bigger changes to the right to study should instead be notified separately when they affect the right to allowance. The right to study must be valid and the conditions of the allowance must be met throughout the period during which you benefit from adult education allowance.
The easiest way to report changes to the online service is to use the messages feature. If necessary, you can also contact us by phone or email. See contact information.
If you end or interrupt your studies or study leave during the adult education allowance period granted to you, be sure to cancel the adult education allowance for the period when your entitlement to it is no longer valid.
Check out the terms and conditions of adult education allowance.
ENG: If you graduate before your entitlement to adult education allowance expires, be sure to cancel your entitlement from the remaining period after graduation.
If the institution you have reported changes during the adult education allowance period awarded to you, please let us know and we will make a change to your application data.
If the education or degree you provide to us changes during the adult education allowance period awarded to you, the initial decision previously granted to you must be revoked. You can then apply for a new initial decision for your new study programme.
Do the same if you are applying for allowance as a student in a re-education programme or studying in the open education system towards a degree student status, and you are accepted as a degree student later.
There is no need to report a change of field of expertise within the same degree.
If you receive a social security benefit retrospectively, that you did not notify us of at the time of application and that may prevent you from receiving adult education allowance, please let us know. Such social security benefits that prevent adult education allowance include parental allowance, Kela's study grant, unemployment allowance and pension. For more information on social security benefits that cannot be obtained at the same time as adult education allowance see the page on the amount and duration of adult education allowance.
If you move abroad for a longer period during the adult education allowance period, it will be determined whether the move will affect the payment of adult education allowance.
If you move abroad so that your entitlement to Finnish social security is terminated, be sure to cancel your adult education allowance.
Check out the terms and conditions of adult education allowance.
If you start conscription or civilian service during the allowance period, be sure to cancel the adult education allowance for that period.
Check out the terms and conditions of adult education allowance.
If you resign or are dismissed in the middle of an adult education allowance period granted to you, please report it as soon as possible using the online service messages function. See contact information.
If your employment is terminated during the adult education allowance period, we will investigate whether your entitlement to the allowance continues. You will not lose your entitlement to adult education allowance, if your employment is terminated after the start of the allowance period for reasons beyond your control.
If, on the other hand, you resign yourself, you can receive adult education allowance until your last working day, after which your entitlement to the allowance will be terminated. The condition for granting adult education allowance is that you have a valid employment relationship for the entire period of when you are receiving the adult education allowance.
Check out the terms and conditions of adult education allowance.