Forfeiture of the right to pursue a degree

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Forfeiture of your right to pursue a degree will terminate your current right to pursue a degree as well as any optional rights to pursue a second-cycle degree, effective from the notification date. The forfeiture will also terminate all the separately obtained study rights that are related to your right to pursue a degree (e.g., pedagogical studies). You will not be able to continue pursuing your degree or apply for an extension of the right to pursue your degree.

The notification of forfeiture is binding and final. Note that you cannot have your right to pursue a degree restored at a later time by applying for the restoration of your right to study. If you decide to continue your studies at a later time, you will need to apply for a place through the normal student admission process.

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In what circumstances do I need to forfeit my right to pursue a degree?
How do I forfeit my right to pursue a degree?

In what circumstances do I need to forfeit my right to pursue a degree?

Forfeiture of the right to pursue a degree is only required in very rare circumstances these days. For example, eligibility for unemployment benefits does not require that you forfeit your right to pursue a degree. Instead, you simply have to show that your studies have been suspended, as evidenced by you not having earned any credits during the past year. Similarly, failing to do your annual registration, exceeding the normative duration of your studies or being selected for Etappi monitoring do not require that you forfeit your right to pursue a degree.

In practice, the need to forfeit your right to pursue a degree may only arise if, in the context of eligibility for unemployment benefits, you are unable to demonstrate that your studies have been suspended and you can’t wait until the conditions are met, or if you are applying to study somewhere else and the education provider requires that you forfeit your existing right to pursue a degree. For example, if a student wishes to reapply for a right to complete a degree through the student admission procedure, which they already have been granted, they must first forfeit the prior right. This applies also if the student is disenrolled or the time allocated for completing the studies has ended. 

Before submitting your forfeiture notification, if you are unsure of whether your circumstances require that you forfeit your right to pursue a degree, please contact the Student Services of your own faculty.

How do I forfeit my right to pursue a degree?

You can forfeit your right to pursue a degree by notifying it with the form below. Please return the form signed by e-mail to studentinfo@helsinki.fi or in person to Kaisa House Student Information. When your forfeiture notification has been processed, your right to pursue a degree will be terminated effective from the notification date.