How the hell do I fund this masters?!

fineng3 · Post by **fineng3** » Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:34 pm

My first post!
Any help would be beyond appreciated. I will explain my situation as QUICK as possible.

1. Wanted to move to finland for over 5 years, I have been learning finnish, I have had a Finnish girlfriend, lots of finnish friends and have visited. So not to waste anyones time! I do not need advice regarding the culture 'shock' or language (I am continually progressing so no worries there).

2. I have had an internship set up in finland for APPROX 1 year.... It is unpaid but allows for fantastic learning opportunities.

3. around (lets say 6 months ago) I began the process of applying for a masters in HKI.... I got accepted say 2 months ago.

NOW

1. KELA... from what I understand on their official website, I COULD be entitled to some form of benefits. However many friends have explained (essentially) kela wont touch me until ive been there for 2 years. BUT many have urged me there are 'ways around it' and I should try.

2. my primary reason for coming (aside that ive wanted to forever) is to work at this internship... It benefits young finns lives and I will be both learning and doing good

. in that respect (both in terms of time and purpose) the internship truly IS my primary reason for coming, making my masters secondary and thus (by kelas exact terms on their website) very potentially entitled to benefits... But as stated, more or less everyone says its not the case.

PLEASE trust me when I say I have genuine intentions. I really do, I wouldn't have been learning the language / socialising with finns and obsessing / moving towards the idea for years JUST to come and be a 'leech'... but the reality is... im POOR. and I initially at least need some help / income!
I have tried to find a job there, but this will be much easier once im actually there!

ANY advice would be astoundingly helpful... I have approx. 3 weeks to 1000% confirm im doing this masters and thus far im TERRIFIED I realllly don't know what to do.

By the way, im English with no family ties in Finland x

3.

**Sponsor:**

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 10:27 pm

fineng3 wrote: 1. KELA... from what I understand on their official website, I COULD be entitled to some form of benefits. However many friends have explained (essentially) kela wont touch me until ive been there for 2 years. BUT many have urged me there are 'ways around it' and I should try.

http://www.kela.fi/web/en/financial-aid ... n-students

"You are eligible for financial aid if your right to residence in Finland has been registered and you are in Finland for some other principal purpose than to attend school. "

https://www.poliisi.fi/poliisi/home.nsf ... endocument

"As a rule, a precondition for registering a right of residence is that the applicant has sufficient income to support him/herself and his/her family."

There are "no ways around" the rules written in web pages. Sometimes they have room for interpretation or individual circumstances though (but this doesn't seem to be in your case).

fineng3 wrote: 2. my primary reason for coming (aside that ive wanted to forever) is to work at this internship... It benefits young finns lives and I will be both learning and doing good . in that respect (both in terms of time and purpose) the internship truly IS my primary reason for coming, making my masters secondary and thus (by kelas exact terms on their website) very potentially entitled to benefits... But as stated, more or less everyone says its not the case.

It's not the case because the internship does not allow you to register your right of residence.

fineng3 wrote: By the way, im English with no family ties in Finland x

Your best bet would have been the UK government but seems you are out of luck:

http://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.c ... eas-study/

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Tue Jul 08, 2014 10:31 pm

fineng3 wrote:
PLEASE trust me when I say I have genuine intentions. I really do, I wouldn't have been learning the language / socialising with finns and obsessing / moving towards the idea for years JUST to come and be a 'leech'... but the reality is... im POOR. and I initially at least need some help / income!
I have tried to find a job there, but this will be much easier once im actually there!
.

It's possible to have the UK pay jobseeker's allowance to you in Finland:

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/ben ... ce-in-eea/

Have you researched this avenue?

orys · Post by **orys** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 2:07 am

You can't get jobseekers allowance if you are a student...

GermanInHelsinki · Post by **GermanInHelsinki** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:20 pm

Teh OP can of course not marry his ex-gf.

GermanInHelsinki · Post by **GermanInHelsinki** » Wed Jul 09, 2014 5:41 pm

Anyone can of course register his Right of Residence based on sufficient money on the bank account and then do whatever he wants - even an unpaid internship.

Registering a Right of Residence does of course not imply Kela coverage.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 9:19 am

Fund? What the heck are you blathering about? Studying is "free". Go back to the UK and shell out 9000 for a semester for the Technical College of Wank-on-Ouse and come back explaining this need of funding.

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 10:39 am

Pursuivant wrote:Fund? What the heck are you blathering about? Studying is "free". Go back to the UK and shell out 9000 for a semester for the Technical College of Wank-on-Ouse and come back explaining this need of funding.

Tuition is not the only expense related to tertiary studies. I think language wise fund is correct in this instance. You need to pay rent etc somehow.

GermanInHelsinki wrote: Registering a Right of Residence does of course not imply Kela coverage.

Yes it does with the exception of students. The Finnish system is based on residence:

http://www.kela.fi/web/en/moving-to-finland

betelgeuse · Post by **betelgeuse** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 10:45 am

GermanInHelsinki wrote:Teh OP can of course not marry his ex-gf.

Assuming the OP does not currently have a girlfriend, what makes you certain that she wouldn't for example allow this or get back to together?

fineng3 · Post by **fineng3** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 1:30 pm

OP here, thanks for the replies! I am a noob with forums and cannot work out how to quote -_-, it just quotes the whole post each time.

ANYWAY

1. BETELGEUSE... Im pretty sure I can live in Finland any which way? its part of the EU.

"You are eligible for financial aid if your right to residence in Finland has been registered and you are in Finland for some other principal purpose than to attend school. "

This is the sentence that pisses me off, I AM REGISTERING on the basis im there to do an internship... This has been a longer term plan AND I simply applied to the masters because I thought, heck, I may as well be super productive whilst there! SO TO ME THE MASTERS IS NOT MY PRINCIPLE PUROPSE :/... they need to rephrase this sentence.

UK government don't fund any post grads -_-... job seekers yeah, il do that.... BUT its £126 every two weeks for 3 months.... Not enough to survive.

p.s did you used to play MGO by anychance?

2.persuivant ... I have a degree, that's how I got accepted onto a masters degree course.... and as Betel understood, 'fund' is the correct term, I am talking about the cost of living in a capital city for 2 years...

3.germainehelsinki... Your post cracked me up! But seriously, marrying an ex GF etc and being on their version of the dole etc isn't what id class as productive!

so as I did fear it all looks a bit bleak...

I am considering getting on a plane and actually going to the KELA office to sort this out.
The thing is their website is horrific and if I was to just go on 'literal' sentences, I would be entitled to benefits for study!

I really appreciate any thoughts, keep em coming.... But one things CLEAR, its a case of speak to KELA in person -_-... unlike the UK which is pretty black In its systems, KELA seems to be a minefield of if buts and maybes. EVERY Fin / student / person I speak to has a different answer regarding KELA! its like they flip a coin or something when making decisions haha.

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 2:49 pm

fineng3 wrote: I AM REGISTERING on the basis im there to do an internship.

You WANT to register on that basis. It is up to the police if they accept that. And to do so you have to prove you don't need Kela support.

I am considering getting on a plane and actually going to the KELA office to sort this out.

They won't even talk to you without the proper paperwork (registration as a resident)

The thing is their website is horrific and if I was to just go on 'literal' sentences, I would be entitled to benefits for study!

Yes, IF you are registered for an other reason than study (i.e. work or marriage) And an unpaid internship is not work.

fineng3 · Post by **fineng3** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 5:28 pm

The internship benefits young finns and aids finland in their arts internationally... I think its a just cause to register + it essentially IS work... It could lead to a 'proper job'.

Surly they will give me some advice if I turn up and ask? Or book an appointment ahead of time?

I cannot emphasise enough, I'm not hoping for an entirely 'free ride' but as a peasent it would be a dumb idea not to exhaust every possible solution!

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:22 pm

UK government don't fund any post grads -_-

So how would you fund a masters degree then in the UK?

GermanInHelsinki · Post by **GermanInHelsinki** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:43 pm

Betelgeuse is of course wrong when claiming that registering a Right of Residence based on sufficient means of support would imply Kela coverage.

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Thu Jul 10, 2014 8:49 pm

This is the sentence that pisses me off, I AM REGISTERING on the basis im there to do an internship.

But, as you said, the internship is not paid, so you are not in the country to "work" to support yourself, and KELA coverage comes with working... Its like NI contributions...

Finland Forum

Find information about moving to, living in and life in Finland