Education in Finland

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DAL
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Education in Finland

Post by DAL » Thu May 22, 2003 5:32 am

I have a couple of questions.

I have a friend that lives here in Seattle and is a first year student at the University of Washington and would like to go to school in Finland. He is a Canadian/Finnish dual citizen and speaks decent Finnish. He would like to go to school in Finland; his parents live in Seattle and have not paid Finnish taxes in over ten years. So now the questions:

Does he have the same rights as Finns that have lived in Finland their entire lives?

Does he have to perform military service in the Finnish Army, as he is 18?

Is he eligible for the state provided money to attend school, I think it is opintoraha.

Thanks
D



Education in Finland

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Hank W.
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Re: Education in Finland

Post by Hank W. » Thu May 22, 2003 9:52 am

DAL wrote: Does he have the same rights as Finns that have lived in Finland their entire lives?
Yes, no. What do you mean by "rights"... you have no rights here, this is *Finland*.

If the question means is he entitled to stuff:

- free education, yes, as any tom, dick & harry that walks in and passes the entry examinations.

- free healthcare, KELA benefitc etc, yes, as any tom, dick & harry that has fulfilled the residency requirements (depends, see http://www.kela.fi)
DAL wrote:Does he have to perform military service in the Finnish Army, as he is 18?
Not until he's 19, its only 6 months these days and its like a stroll in the park compared to what I had to do. They pay his tickets too http://www.mil.fi . But the option is 13 months emptying bedpans in a hospital or some other happy hippie stuff or 168 days in jail. If he manages to skirt the draft until 28, he's in the green. Nobody will hire him though if he hasn't got the service papers (as in duty fulfilled, due to legislation this causes the employer to have to keep him his job etc.) and he can't get a Finnish passport either unless he shows the appropriate documents. If he wants to be a Canadian he then pretty much may loose his Finnish citizenship at 22. http://www.uvi.fi
DAL wrote:Is he eligible for the state provided money to attend school, I think it is opintoraha.
- see above => kela
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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nehia_qom
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Re: Education in Finland

Post by nehia_qom » Thu May 22, 2003 3:37 pm

Hank W. wrote: - free education, yes, as any tom, dick & harry that walks in and passes the entry examinations.
I was told that foreighners don't get free education. Are you sure about this Hank?

Though I think the person with the original question would qualify since the have a finnish parent.

When choosing between two evils, always choose the one you haven't tried yet.
- Mae West

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Sara
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Post by Sara » Thu May 22, 2003 3:50 pm

If youre from the EU you get free education, I didnt pay anything towards my masters.

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Hank W.
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Re: Education in Finland

Post by Hank W. » Thu May 22, 2003 3:57 pm

nehia_qom wrote: I was told that foreigners don't get free education. Are you sure about this Hank?
I can read the law book, sure I am sure. Regular students at Finnish universities or polytechnics do not have to pay for tuition or for taking a degree.

8 §
Opetuksen maksuttomuus

Korkeakoulututkintoon johtava opetus on opiskelijalle maksutonta.


Avoimen yliopisto-opetuksen ja täydennyskoulutuksen osalta noudatetaan, mitä valtion maksuperustelain (150/1992) nojalla päätetään.


Act on polytechnics I found in english:
Section 16. Free tuition

Students are provided with tuition for a polytechnic degree free of charge.


If you apply for some funky English-speaking MBA or such courses - they cost. But thats a different nine yards. As is the fact that foreigners/non-residents don't get free this and free that and free handouts... but studying is free.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

Ace

Re: Education in Finland

Post by Ace » Thu May 22, 2003 5:14 pm

Hank W. wrote:- free healthcare, KELA benefitc etc, yes, as any tom, dick & harry that has fulfilled the residency requirements (depends, see http://www.kela.fi)
You wont get any student living allowance here as a non finnish citizen without first having been resident here for two years as something other than a student, eg working or unemployed.

You wont pay tuition fees though, which is a bonus!

If you aren't from the EU I think you have to have a certain amount of money in your bank account for a period of time, in order to obtain temporary residency as a student here. I think its about 6000 euro's. Im told this is to prove you can finance your stay here, but it seems you need to have that whole chunk in the account for most of your studies. Also some of my fellow students who aren't EU seem to have had their passports confiscated for a considerable period of time whilst there checked out. But they are from Pakistan and Iran so they are probably considered suspect by the government here.

Of course if the guy has finnish citizenship as a birthright its probably a whole different ball game.

Olly
(1 year in finland before starting full time study, and a pauper ;-))

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nehia_qom
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Post by nehia_qom » Thu May 22, 2003 8:34 pm

ok so I guess I am asking because I am thinking about giving up on a damn work permit for awhile and going to school. I already have a residence permit (for which I had to prove that I had 5,000 USD) and as far as I know I don't have to show that again until next year...is that right?
And I am not an EU citizen. So does that make this more dificult too?

If you could let me know where you're getting this info I can check for myself. I hate to be so needy :oops:

Thanks everybody for the help

When choosing between two evils, always choose the one you haven't tried yet.
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Sara
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Post by Sara » Thu May 22, 2003 9:02 pm

I suppose the thing to do is look round at what courses you might be interested in, then look at how to get into it, costs etc.

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DAL
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Post by DAL » Thu May 22, 2003 9:15 pm

Thanks everybody, especially Hank.


Although Hank I must confess, that you can quote from the law books in both Finnish and English is kinda concerning :D

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Post by Hank W. » Fri May 23, 2003 11:26 am

nehia_qom wrote:If you could let me know where you're getting this info I can check for myself.
take the eye in hand: http://www.uvi.fi

Unless you wish to reveal yourself publicly, PM me with a cv and what you wish to study I can do a little search whats available in English. Usually bachelors degree polytechnic courses - university is in Finnish/ Swedish mainly.
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.

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Hank W.
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Post by Hank W. » Fri May 23, 2003 11:29 am

DAL wrote: Although Hank I must confess, that you can quote from the law books in both Finnish and English is kinda concerning
You just watch I won't get medieval on your ass...

Pahategon Caari
X. Lucu. Secoituxesta järjettömäin luondocappalden canssa.

1.§. Jocainen cuin secoitta itzens eläimen eli muun järjettömän luondocappalen canssa; sen pää pitä pois lyötämän ja hän lawosa poltettaman, surmattacon myös sama eläin ynnä ja poltettacon.

2.§. Jos jocu ei taida sidottaa itze tecohon, waan löytän olleen täydesä aicomuxesa ja walmisa sencaldaista cauhistusta täyttämään: nijn pitä hänen caula-raudasa tekemän työtä puolen wuotta, eli enämmän, asian haarain jälken


The Arch of Evil Deeds:
X paragraph:
Of joining with senseless beasts of nature

1. Everyone, who joins themself with an animal, whichever senseless beast of nature, their head has to be chopped off and himself burned on a pyre, the same animal shall also be killed and burnt.

2. If someone cannot be attached to the deed, but is found in readiness to fulfill such a wickedness, so he must make work with neck-chains half a year, or more, according to the circumstances.

The Law of The Realm of Sweden, 1734
Cheers, Hank W.
sitting here like a lemon looking for a gin.


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