Funding for the student exchange

International Exchange Services pays you a mobility grant if you participate in an exchange based on a University of Helsinki exchange agreement. Exceptions include exchange opportunities in the Nordplus programme as well as Switzerland, in which case the network or the host organisation pays for the grant.

The mobility grant is a one-off payment primarily intended to cover travel costs. You can receive only one mobility grant for each exchange.

The grant amounts are decided annually. Grant amounts for the academic year beginning in the following autumn are always made prior to February.

As the mobility grant is tax exempt, Kela does not take it into account in monitoring the recipient’s income from the perspective of student financial aid.

Erasmus student exchange in Europe

The Erasmus+ mobility grant is determined for by the duration of the exchange (per day) as well as the destination. The European Union has defined country groups based on the cost of living.

Grants are paid for the time period during which students must be physically present at the host university. The duration of the exchange includes the orientation organised by the target university, course teaching, and the first examinations that immediately follow the teaching. Language courses organised at the host university before the semester starts is not usually considered a part of the exchange period in those languages in which an OLS language course is offered. More information on OLS language course can be found on page OLS Language testing.

NB! The minimum duration of a long-term Erasmus+ exchange is two months. If the actual duration of the exchange is less than the minimum duration, the exchange is considered to be cancelled, and the whole grant amount must be recovered.

Long-term Erasmus+ mobility grant for 2022-23 and 2023-2024

The actual duration of the exchange is confirmed from the Letter of Confirmation once the exchange has ended. If the duration is shorter than planned, any excess grant amount will be reclaimed after the exchange has ended.

The receipt of an Erasmus grant requires the completion of five credits per month (i.e., 30 days). Shorter months do not affect the required number of credits, i.e., if the duration of the exchange is 130 days (4 months and 10 days), the receipt of the grant requires the completion of 20 credits at the target university.

Erasmus+ Blended mobility and short-term mobility grant

Starting from 2022 it is possible to receive a grant for short-term mobility (5-30 days) in Erasmus programme countries (listed above, not including UK) The short term mobility must include an obligatory virtual component (excepting for PhD students). Mobility grant is paid only for the duration of the physical mobility. The mobility grant can include one travel day both before and after the mobility. A blended mobility for studies as a whole must award a minimum of 3 ECTS credits.

Erasmus+ blended mobility/short mobility grant for 2022-2023 is for all programme countries 70 € / day for the first 5-14 days and thereafter 50 € / day for days 15-30.

Green mobility travel grant in Erasmus+

Starting from 2022, it is possible to get extra travel grant if a student chooses an environmental/low-emission mode of travel (for example bicycle, train, bus, carpooling, not however ferry) and majority of traveled distance or at least one direction of the trip is green travel.

As green mobility grant, the student receives fixed-sum 50 € top-up to their grant and the duration of the mobility can include max 4 extra travel days (2 before and 2 after the mobility) The green mobility travel grant can be paid both for long-term as well as short-term/blended mobility. The green mobility grant does not for the moment apply for exchanges in the UK.

Additional top-up grant to students with fewer opportunities

Erasmus+ programme supports also students who have fewer opportunities to participate in a mobility. Earlier this category has in Finland included student with underage children. Starting from 2022-23 the category has been expanded and now includes the groups listed below. If you are going on Erasmus+ exchange during 2022-23 and are a part of any of these groups, contact International Exchange Services as soon as possible. Participants with fewer opportunities are entitled to a fixed-fee additional grant 250 €/30 days) on top of the ordinary Erasmus+ mobility grant (For exchanges in the UK the grant is only for participants with underage children and the sum is 200 €/30 days). For short-term mobility, the top-up is 100 € for mobilities between 5 to 14 days and 150 € for mobilities between 15 to 30 days.

As of the academic year 2022 - 2023 in Finland the fewer opportunities category includes students who

• have families,
• are family carers,
• have disabilities,
• suffer from a severe or chronic health condition, or
• have received international protection

Special needs and Inclusion support in  Erasmus+

Special needs and inclusion grants are intended to enable international exchange and internship in circumstances when a special need causes additional costs that are not covered by other sources. Special need can be an injury, impairment, physical or psychological illness or learning difficulty.

The grant can be awarded to accessible accommodation, assisted mobility or such study-related special arrangements as learning materials, preparatory visits and personal assistants. The inclusion support is paid in addition to regular mobility grant and it is based on real costs. The application process is completely confidential and the application is made together with the International Exchange Services. The decision on the grant is made by the National Agency. All applications will be handled on a case-by-case basis.

It is important to start the preparations in good time, at the latest 6 months before the mobility. Not only do you need to apply for support, but it also takes time before you have all the necessary information from the host institution, including details of any special arrangements.

For more information on special needs and inclusion grant, participants' experiences, a checklist for the planning, application instructions and forms, see the Finnish National Agency for Education's inclusion page. If you need more information or want to apply for inclusion support, you can contact us at studentexchange@helsinki.fi.

Erasmus+ global mobility grant is paid to few University Bilateral destinations, depending on the funding received from the European Commission. The destinations will be confirmed annually prior to the application period. In the October 2022 call, the destinations are Kenya, Palestine, Morocco, Egypt and New Zealand.

The Erasmus+ Global mobility grant is determined for by the duration of the exchange (per day). Grants are paid for the time period during which students must be present at the host university. The duration of the exchange includes the orientation organised by the target university, course teaching and the first examinations that immediately follow the teaching.

NB! The minimum duration of an Erasmus exchange is three months.* If the actual duration of the exchange is less than the minimum duration, the exchange is considered to be cancelled, and the whole grant amount must be recovered.
*With the exception of target universities where the official duration of the term is less than three months

The Erasmus+ global mobility grant consists of travel grant a well as a monthly grant. The monthly grant is 700 € / full month and approximately 23 € / day for extra days.

The amount of the travel grant depends on the distance to the exchange destination. For example,

• Palestine, Egypt, Morocco: 530 €
• Laos, Benin, Kenya: 820 €
• New Zealand: 1500 €

The actual duration of the exchange is confirmed from the Letter of Confirmation once the exchange has ended. If the duration is shorter than planned, any excess grant amount will be reclaimed after the exchange has ended.

The receipt of an Erasmus grant requires the completion of five credits per full month (i.e., 30 days). Shorter months do not affect the required number of credits, i.e., if the duration of the exchange is 130 days (4 months and 10 days), the receipt of the grant requires the completion of 20 credits at the target university.

Switzerland does not participate in the Erasmus programme. Consequently, the Swiss government pays a mobility grant also for inbound exchange students. The amount of the grant in 2019-2020 academic year was CHF 380 (Swiss Francs) per month for Finnish students, and it is paid via the target university.

Nordplus networks apply for funding and make grant decisions independently. The grant consists of a scholarship and a travel allowance. The networks can decide on the amount of the grant. The amounts listed below are the maximum amounts.

The Nordplus network pays for the student’s grant from the coordinating university. Instructions for applying for a grant can be obtained from International Exchange Services. However, all Nordplus students must accept the University of Helsinki’s terms of exchange in Mobility Online prior to their exchange.

Short mobility grant for a mobility under 1 month (express) can be 250€ / 1. week (5-7 days), 100€ 2. week, 100€ 3. week + travel allowance

Grant amounts in the 2022 – 2023 academic year

Bilateral exchange opportunities (University and unit bilateral agreements) to Russia, Ukraine and Georgia 

Bilateral exchange opportunities (University and unit bilateral agreements) outside Europe

Grant amounts in the 2023 – 2024 academic year

Bilateral exchange opportunities (University and unit bilateral agreements) to Russia, Ukraine and Georgia 

Bilateral exchange opportunities (University and unit bilateral agreements) outside Europe

Every year, University of Helsinki receives funding from the National Board of Education to send a few students on North2North exchange. The sum is confirmed annually, only after the exchange application period. In recent years it has been 2 000 €/semester.

The Freemover grant is intended for students who make their own exchange arrangements outside Finland.

For the academic year 23-24:

For the academic year 22-23: €300 to Europe and Russia, €900 to Other countries.

The receipt of a grant for a short course requires that the course is completed with a passing grade.

You can apply for a mobility grant through Mobility Online after the University of Helsinki has selected you for an exchange.

NB! If you make independent exchange arrangements outside exchange programmes, you can apply for a free mover grant according to the relevant instructions.

Follow these instructions to receive a mobility grant from the University of Helsinki:

• Log in to Mobility Online with your University username and complete your personal and banking information under Complete Personal Data.
• Erasmus exchange: If necessary, edit the dates of your exchange (if they have been specified since you created your application) under Change stay from/stay until on your Mobility Online account.
• Next, carefully read the terms of the grant (Read student exchange terms and conditions). You can either print out or save the terms on your computer.
• Accept the grant terms electronically by clicking on Accept student exchange terms and conditions.

You must accept the terms in good time, preferably when accepting the place offered to you so that the mobility grant can be paid to you in time. The date of payment for the mobility grant is the last banking day of the month preceding the exchange.

Technical questions about Mobility Online: kvl-admin@helsinki.fi or +358 2941 22953.

Where can you see that the grant has been paid?

• You can see the date of payment on your Mobility Online account at least two weeks before the payment of the grant if you accepted the terms of the grant and the exchange electronically in good time. 
• If the text Payment Date is not displayed two weeks before the last day of the month preceding the exchange even though you have accepted the terms electronically in good time, contact International Exchange Services.
• NB! During vacation periods (summer, December and the turn of the year), the processing of grants may take longer. Be sure to accept the terms in good time.

I agree to abide by the terms and conditions of the student exchange scholarship stated below. Paragraphs 2-3 and 5-6 concern also students who do not receive a mobility scholarship from International Exchange Services (I.E.S). The scholarship shall not be paid should the student not accept the terms and conditions of the scholarship on his or her Mobility Online application account. Student exchange scholarships are granted by I.E.S on annually verified grounds. The general terms and conditions concerning scholarships are published in "Instructions for Students" subsection "Funding for student exchange."  

1. I will use the grant only for the travel, insurance, accommodation, living and studying expenses incurred as a result of the student exchange.

2. I will study on a full-time basis during the exchange period and will aim to follow the learning agreement (study plan) I have drawn up in advance. I will complete at least five credits of academic studies per month at the target university. If my target university does not use ECTS credits, the equivalent required number has been specified in the target university’s credits on the Instructions for students site. As an exception to the minimum of 5 ECTS/month, some universities require the student to complete more than (the equivalent of) 5 ECTS/month. If going on exchange to such a university, I will complete the amount of credits required by the host university. I will incorporate the studies completed during the exchange into my degree at the University of Helsinki. A summer course scholarship requires that the course is completed with a passing grade even in the case of exchange periods of less than one month. Sport and hobby courses are not valid exchange studies even if the host university awards credit points for them. The suitability of traditional arts and crafts courses into the University of Helsinki degree is decided by the responsible teacher of each course at University of Helsinki. If the teacher approves the course to be recognised into the degree, it is also counted as part of the completed courses on exchange.

3. I will immediately notify International Exchange Services about the extension, suspension, shortening or cancellation of my student exchange. I understand that the additional component of the grant is not awarded if I apply for it after my original exchange period.

4. I agree to return the grant in full or part if my exchange period is shortened so that it affects the grant amount. I understand that I may also have to return my grant if I fail to complete sufficient amount of credits during my exchange.

5. I will purchase the necessary insurance (sickness and travel insurance) because the University of Helsinki does not provide insurance coverage for outgoing students.

6. I will submit the exchange documents (letter of confirmation* and transcript of studies) and complete the exchange feedback form for International Exchange Services on my Mobility Online account within two months of my return. If I participate in an Erasmus exchange, I will also submit a signed copy of my learning agreement to International Exchange Services and complete the EU Survey within two months of my return.

*Only Erasmus, Nordplus and Nordlys exchange students must submit the Letter of Confirmation.

Please note that it is not possible to receive both a salary and a mobility grant from University of Helsinki simultaneously. Employment at UH prior to your exchange may affect the payment date of your scholarship. Please contact International Exchange Services at studentexchange@helsinki.fi, if you are employed by University of Helsinki in the two months prior to your exchange.

Changes to the duration of your exchange affect your grant amount and must always be reported to International Exchange Services. Immediately inform International Exchange Services about the cancellation, suspension, shortening or extension of your exchange and follow the instructions available on page Changes during the exchange.

Depending on the situation, we will either provide you with an additional grant and an extension to your exchange or send you instructions for repaying your grant (or a part of it). If your exchange period is shortened or suspended, you must usually repay at least part of the grant paid to you. If your exchange is suspended for particularly compelling reasons, you must provide a written explanation.

Note that the minimum duration of an Erasmus exchange is three months.* If the actual duration of the exchange is less than the minimum duration, the exchange is considered to be cancelled, and the whole grant amount must be recovered.
*With the exception of target universities where the official duration of the term is less than three months

In the case of students whose exchange period is extended, the condition for receiving an additional grant is that the exchange agreement includes months of exchange that have not yet been used. The receipt of the additional grant requires that the student delivers to International Exchange Services a certificate from the target university’s coordinator concerning the extension of the exchange and drafts a learning agreement for the extended period. The required documents must be delivered at least one month before the end of the original exchange period. Should the documents not be submitted in time, the additional grant cannot be paid. If information about an extended exchange is provided after the exchange, the grant amount is not affected.

Students usually fund their studies abroad with student financial aid, a housing supplement and a student loan. Read more about student financial aid for studies outside Finland on the Kela site.

Accessibility grants are intended for exchange students who have special needs and require additional support for their exchange. The financial support is available for participants in the Erasmus+ and Nordplus programmes. The application process for grants is continuous, and a separate application form is available. Applications are handled individually. Read more (in Finnish) on the website of the Finnish National Agency for Education.

Applying for grants and scholarships from outside the University requires your own initiative. Other grants do not affect the receipt of a mobility grant.

For tips on other providers of grants, see Scholarships and grants.