Student Travel Card

[AldenG]

Slaking a thirst for knowledge often requires sacrifices.

You'll be going back to the well again and again.

[sammy]

I know that working is not the same as studying, I merely contributed to the discussion with an example of someone who is definitely not a permanent resident but still got a travel card. The card she got was the normal matkakorti, not with student discount but with Helsinki resident discount.

Exactly, now wasn't the OP specifically asking about a STUDENT travel card though? How would "going back" have helped in this regard, that's what I mean Well, anyway - even exchange students can get a personal travel card, but no student discount:

Foreign exchange students can purchase personal Travel Cards if their stay in the validity area of YTV's regional tickets (Helsinki, Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Kerava and Kirkkonummi) is under two years [snip snip] After obtaining the Travel Card, you can load normal priced tickets as discount tickets are granted only to permanent residents.

The personal Travel Card can also be purchased by temporary residents in the capital region. Temporary residency is proved with a residency certificate received fron the local register Office.

The latter must have been what your colleague did? Using the personal travel card is cheaper than buying single tickets -I believe that's the 'Helsinki resident discount' you referred to- but still not the same as student discount.

I'm still interested in hearing why the OP does not have a residence permit for a whole year.

[Linza]

Now that I have the time to properly respond to this...

You have NO RIGHT! You can be happy that you have FREE education. @#$% you!
Your education is paid from finnish money, do you have a right?

You mean, besides that my maternal grandfather's last name was Lindgren?
How many buildings in downtown Helsinki have your family name stamped into the masonry, I wonder?

Add to that the fact that I'm reteaching a couple of subjects that even the native Finnish students simply are not getting, and that my family in the states works for NASA, my friends for Horizon Wind, and I am working to establish connections with T Boone Pickens' wind operation in Texas, all of which are connections I can provide to Finnish students who wish to work in the USA after graduation... I'd have to say, I'm contributing a lot more than I'm taking away. Because I built my savings so I do not have to take a job here, which means not taking work from native Finns, I'm actually bringing about 7000 euroa into the country to spend, and leaving with nothing. I'm contributing to your economy.

Go bark up another tree. I'm busy hugging this one.

[onkko]

Now that I have the time to properly respond to this...

You have NO RIGHT! You can be happy that you have FREE education. @#$% you!
Your education is paid from finnish money, do you have a right?

You mean, besides that my maternal grandfather's last name was Lindgren?
How many buildings in downtown Helsinki have your family name stamped into the masonry, I wonder?

Add to that the fact that I'm reteaching a couple of subjects that even the native Finnish students simply are not getting, and that my family in the states works for NASA, my friends for Horizon Wind, and I am working to establish connections with T Boone Pickens' wind operation in Texas, all of which are connections I can provide to Finnish students who wish to work in the USA after graduation... I'd have to say, I'm contributing a lot more than I'm taking away. Because I built my savings so I do not have to take a job here, which means not taking work from native Finns, I'm actually bringing about 7000 euroa into the country to spend, and leaving with nothing. I'm contributing to your economy.

Go bark up another tree. I'm busy hugging this one.

I or my family havent never lived in helsinki, can you track your family being in finland since churchbooks were started? I can. Nothing too great just great amount of normal peons who really paid this all and some of them got some wealth in process. Some of them paid greatest price for our independence also (according to official statistics and only surname 80 from my mothers family and 8 of my fathers family).
Can you go look on building and say "thats what my grandfathers father build by his own hands", i can.
And if you take only surname of some of your forefathers then match it with Berg. That was my grandmothers familyname before time of great namechange.

And that your 7000e in our economy... You are using goverment subsidied meals, travels and housing and not to include that in your place where you study average cost per student is 7.460,09e. If you want bring something then you need to do better than that.
And if you count education as "nothing" then just @#$% off wasting good place what you took from someone who thinks it is.

[Pursuivant]

my family in the states works for NASA, my friends for Horizon Wind, and I am working to establish connections with T Boone Pickens' wind operation in Texas

Apparently the pay is crap as you're bitching about not getting a free ride on top of your free education.

[Pursuivant]

I know that working is not the same as studying, I merely contributed to the discussion with an example of someone who is definitely not a permanent resident but still got a travel card. The card she got was the normal matkakorti, not with student discount but with Helsinki resident discount.

Yes but no but yes but... the TKK has so far the best "howto" guide to the Metropolitan area...

There are two different kinds of travel cards:

Multi-User Travel Card may be bought by anybody irrespective of their place of residence. This card may be used not only by the purchaser, but also by other users. This alternative is more expensive than the personal travel card. The multi-user travel card can be bought, for example, in the “R-kiosks” around the city.

Personal Travel Card is meant for adults, children and students residing longer time in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa or Kauniainen.

Note that degree students should register in the Local Registration Office (Maistraatti) first and only afterwards buy a personal travel card. If degree students have a permanent home municipality in the metropolitan area, they are also entitled to get the student discount prized travel card.

Exchange and free mover guest students will get at the enrolment at TKK the certificate which is required for buying the personal travel card.

Please note that student discount is granted only for those who 1) have a permanent home municipality (domicile) in metropolitan area AND 2) are studying at least 9 months (e.g. those who already have a permanent residence permit "A" in Finland). This means that exchange students are not admitted the student discount because they do not have the permanent home municipality in the Helsinki area in Finland. However, a Personal Travel Card for adults is available for them and it is a lot cheaper than a Multi-User Travel Card.

Also students over 30 years old and post-graduate students are not entitled for the discount, even if they would have been admitted the home municipality in the metropolitan area.

Not too difficult once you figure out what box you fit into.

[Linza]

Apparently the pay is crap as you're bitching about not getting a free ride on top of your free education.

I can't get paid at all if I'm in Finland, not working. I built up savings over the past couple of years so I could come here and -not- take a job from a Finn. If I were employed doing something besides collecting cans and bottles from my friends' parties, I think I would be less inclined to whine about the travel card. Also if the student travel card said "Native Finnish Students travel card" instead, I would not pursue the issue... I just hate being lied to, is all. Finns have a reputation abroad for being direct and honest, so it's a little confusing. All this bureaucracy seems like the exact opposite of direct and honest. I guess it's the same as home, in that the government rarely represents the spirit of the people and the people don't always share the same spirit as the government.

[Pursuivant]

It not confusing at all - you just need to fit into the right box. You might think you are a student, you might even think you are living here - the computer says no, wrong box.

[tuulen]

Apparently the pay is crap as you're bitching about not getting a free ride on top of your free education.

I just hate being lied to, is all. Finns have a reputation abroad for being direct and honest, so it's a little confusing. All this bureaucracy seems like the exact opposite of direct and honest. I guess it's the same as home, in that the government rarely represents the spirit of the people and the people don't always share the same spirit as the government.

Good for you, Linza!

I hate being lied to, too.

However, Pursuivant will either pull your leg, or speak truth to you. You can bank on that.

[sammy]

I love being lied to

If the people at the NY consulate did not know about the student discount requirements, how on earth could they have told you about it? To be honest (ha) I would not personally expect people at any embassy or consulate to be experts on such matters as public transport student discount policies and regulations in country/city X. Instead, this "nanny state boy" would find out himself.

IMO they should have known, though, that degree students usually are granted a one-year residence permit, since they're going to be in the country for a few years.

If the studies last for more than a year, the residence permit is usually granted for one year at a time.

But assuming you originally wanted not to have a full year residence permit since you assumed that Finns would not "want" you here... the issue of who is responsible for your not knowing about the residency requirement in connection with this student card thingy becomes a teeny bit muddled doesn't it. It's a bit thick to presume they deliberately lied to you, just to make your life a bit more difficult. It's possible of course; perhaps they burst out laughing among themselves when you left the room... but I'd say that's unlikely.

With all due respect, when people are applying for higher education abroad, they should exhibit a bit of the old "I'll find out myself about the details and make sure" spirit. And to quote a fellow FF member, this is not criticism but merely an observation.

[Mook]

You mean, besides that my maternal grandfather's last name was Lindgren?

Oooo, I'm special, just like all the other 8000:

Code: Select all

Lindgren              Total no.   Men    Women   In Finland   Abroad
As present name           3859 	  1801    2058 	   3232      627
As former name            1563 	   184    1379 	   1337      226
As dead persons' name    2521 	   973    1548 	   2328      193
Total                     7943 	  2958    4985 	   6897         1046 

I'm actually bringing about 7000 euroa into the country to spend, and leaving with nothing. I'm contributing to your economy.

You are joking, right?

The subsidies that you get will be more than that:
- Housing (HOAS is maybe 350 Euros/month cheaper than getting something on the open market)
- Public transport
- Student canteen
- education

The reason the Finland accepts and pays for people like you is that "cultural exchange" is supposed to be a good thing. Maybe you would be grateful for the opportunity? After all, I don't s'pose any of us would receive anything for free in your country (except, perhaps a rectal probe on the way in)