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We will update this page with information on discontinuing adult education allowance as soon as we receive more information.

News concerning the adult education allowance

The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024.

We have put together on this page some questions that may be of interest to you regarding the discontinuation of adult education and vocational qualification scholarships.

 

Effects of the discontinuance on granting the allowance

  • In order to be eligible for adult education allowance, both your studies and your period of the allowance must have started by 31st of July 2024 at the latest

  • The start of the allowance period no later than 31 July means that all conditions for receiving the allowance must be met no later than 31st of July

  • You must also be on either partial or full study leave during the period when you applied for the allowance

  • The application for adult education allowance does not need to be submitted by 31 July. You can apply for the allowance no earlier than 4 months in advance and no later than 6 months afterwards. If you would like to receive adult education allowance starting from the  31st of July, an application for this should be submitted by 31st of January 2025 at the latest

  • If you are currently receiving adult education allowance, the termination of adult education allowance will not have an impact on your situation as long as you are studying the same studies as you are now. You can apply for more allowance for the same studies in one or more parts until the end of 2025

  • If you have been granted adult education allowance for studies beginning in the autumn of 2024, you will lose the right to receive the allowance already granted to you

Yes, you can. 

Scholarships for vocational qualifications may be awarded on the basis of a degree completed up to 31 July 2024. The scholarship must be applied for within one year of completing the degree, i.e. by 31 July 2025 at the latest. Qualifications completed on or after 1 August 2024 are no longer eligible for a vocational degree scholarship.

The effects of discontinuing the adult education allowance vary depending on whether you are currently studying with an adult education allowance or planning to apply for an adult education allowance.

If you are currently receiving adult education allowance, the discontinuing adult education allowance would not have any effect on you as long as you continue your current studies. You would be able to apply for an extension to the allowance for your current studies until the end of 2025. If you want to change your studies after 1 August 2024, adult education allowance would no longer be granted for the new studies.

If you would like to apply for allowance for new studies that would begin on or after 1 August 2024, you would not be entitled to receive adult education allowance for your studies. Under no circumstances would adult education allowance be granted for studies starting on or after 1 August 2024. Despite the fact that we can grant adult education allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on Discontinuation of adult education allowance enters into force, the right to receive the allowance would, however, be abolished once the discontinuation came into force.

It depends on when the studies you would need the allowance for begin.

If your studies and applied allowance periods start no later than 31 July 2024, you can still apply for the allowance. You could apply for allowance in one or more parts until the end of 2025. See eligibility criteria on our website.

If your studies and allowance periods begin after 1st of August 2024, you can no longer apply for adult education allowance. Under no circumstances would adult education allowance be granted for studies starting on or after 1 August 2024. Despite the fact that we can grant adult education allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on Discontinuation of adult education allowance enters into force the right to receive the allowance would, however, be abolished once the discontinuation came into force.

Yes, you can. You can apply for adult education allowance at this time just as before, i.e. for a maximum period of 15 months, if your studies and support period have started no later than 31 July 2024. The requested payment entitlement may also extend beyond August 2024.

The Act abolishing adult education benefits has entered into force on 1 June 2024 and adult education support can be granted until the end of 2025 for those whose studies and the right to apply for the allowance have started no later than 31 July 2024.

No, the allowance months will not become available to you automatically. However, you will not lose them either, but you can apply for them by submitting a new allowance eligibility application in the online service. Eligibility for the allowance could be granted until 31 December 2025 for studies that have started no later than 31 July 2024 and for which adult education allowance has already been granted.

If you would like to apply for allowance for new studies that would begin on or after 1 August 2024, you would not be entitled to receive adult education allowance for your studies. Under no circumstances would adult education allowance be granted for studies starting on or after 1 August 2024. Despite the fact that we can grant adult education allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on Discontinuation of adult education allowance enters into force, the right to receive the allowance would, however, be abolished once the discontinuation came into force.

Unfortunately you couldn't.

If you would like to apply for allowance for new studies that would begin on or after 1 August 2024, you would not be entitled to receive adult education allowance for your studies. Under no circumstances would adult education allowance be granted for studies starting on or after 1 August 2024. Despite the fact that we can grant adult education allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on Discontinuation of adult education allowance enters into force, the right to receive the allowance would, however, be abolished once the discontinuation came into force.

Your right to receive adult education allowance depends on when the studies you would need the allowance for begin.

If are applying for the allowance for studies that start no later than 31 July 2024 and the applied eligibility for the allowance starts by that date, you are eligible for the benefit.

If you would like to apply for allowance for new studies that would begin on or after 1 August 2024, you would not be entitled to receive adult education allowance for your studies. Under no circumstances would adult education allowance be granted for studies starting on or after 1 August 2024. Despite the fact that we can grant adult education allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on Discontinuation of adult education allowance enters into force, the right to receive the allowance would, however, be abolished once the discontinuation came into force.

This is not true. Adult education allowance is set to be discontinued for everyone regardless of educational institution or field of study. The clients who have been granted the entitlement to the allowance before the deadline to the discontinuation can still receive allowance during the transition period. New entitlements to the allowance could no longer be granted. This could lead to differences between students. 

The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024. Adult education allowance could be paid until the end of 2025 for those whose studies and allowance period would begin by 31 July 2024. 

The main effects of the discontinuing adult education allowance are the same for the recipients of employee’s and entrepreneur’s adult education allowance. The discontinuing adult education allowance would have different impacts depending on whether you are currently studying on adult education allowance or whether you are planning to apply for adult education allowance.

If you are currently receiving adult education allowance, the discontinuing adult education allowancel would not have any effect on you as long as you continue your current studies, and you will be eligible for the allowance until the end of 2025. You would be able to apply for an extension to the allowance for your current studies until the end of 2025.

If you are planning to apply for adult education allowance for a period starting no later than 31 July 2024 for studies starting no later than 31 July 2024 before the entry into force of the Act on discontinuation of the allowace, the discontinuing adult education allowance would not have any effect on you as long as you continue in your current studies. The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. 

If you would like to apply for allowance for new studies that would begin on or after 1 August 2024, you would not be entitled to receive entrepreneur’s adult education allowance for your studies. Studies starting in the autumn of 2024 are not eligible for allowance under any circumstances.

In addition, the allowance can be granted until 31 December 2025 at the most. Under no circumstances will it be possible to grant allowance for 2026 or beyond. Please note that prior to the entry of the Act on dicontinuation we may grant allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 for an allowance period that could extend to 2026. However, the entitlement would be abolished because, it is not possible to receive allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 and it cannot be granted for the year 2026 or after acccording to the proposed Act on dicontinuation of adult eduaction allowance.

 

The discontinuation of adult education allowance does not have direct impacts on study leaves. The amendment does not have an impact on prepared agreements on study leaves and they can also be made in the future. If study leave has been applied for to complete studies that are intended to be financed through adult education allowance, we recommend to consider the discontinuation of adult education allowance.

 

Yes, adult education allowance is being discontinued. Parliament has passed a bill to abolish adult education benefits 22.5.2024.

The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024. Adult education allowance could be granted until the end of 2025 to those whose studies and applied for allowance start no later than 31 July 2024.

If your studies and allowance period have started before 31 July 2024, you cannot lose your eligibility for the allowance. 

On the other hand, if your studies and entitlement to adult education allowance started on or after 1 August 2024, you could lose the entitlement already granted to you. Studies starting in the autumn of 2024 are not eligible for allowance under any circumstances. Despite the fact that we can grant allowance for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on discontinuation of the allowance enters into force, the right to receive allowance would, however, be withdrawn once the discontinuation of the allowance Act came into force.

 

The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024.

According to the transitional provisions, it is possible to receive adult education allowance until 31 December 2025 if studies and the allowance period have started no later than 31 July 2024.

If your studies and allowance period have started before 31 July 2024, adult education allowance could be granted until the end of 2025. You can submit the payment application retroactively for 6 months, in which case the payment application should be submitted no later than 30 June 2026.

If you would like to apply for allowance for new studies that would begin on or after 1 August 2024, you would not be entitled to receive adult education allowance for your studies. Under no circumstances would adult education allowance be granted for studies starting on or after 1 August 2024. Despite the fact that we can grant aid for studies starting in the autumn of 2024 on the basis of the current Act before the Act on discontinuation of adult education allowance enters into force, the right to receive aid would, however, be abolished once the new Act on discontinuation of adult education allowance came into force.

You can receive adult education allowance if your entitlement starts no later than 31st of July 2024. If you apply for adult education allowance so that your entitlement would begin on or after 1st of August 2024, you would not be eligible for adult education allowance.

We have always given advice to our customers based on the current knowledge. As the preparation of the Act progresses, the information regarding studies starting in the autumn of 2024 has been specified and we have updated our instructions and guidance accordingly. We are sorry that the details of the discontinuation have been uncertain and some of them have been confirmed very late from the point of view of our customers'. 

If you are currently receiving adult education allowance, the discontinuing adult education allowance would not affect your situation as long as you are studying the same studies as before. You could apply for more allowance until the end of 2025 for the same studies you are currently studying. You could apply for more entitlement in one or more parts. If, on the other hand, you changed your studies after 1 August 2024, the adult education allowance would no longer be granted for your new studies under any circumstances.   

Example 1: You have a valid decision for nursing studies for the period from 1 January to -31 May 2024. You work in the summer and do not need adult education allowance. You will return to your nursing studies from 1 of September 2024 and would like to receive adult education allowance for the period from 1 September to 31 December 2025. This extension of entitlement could be granted when all other eligibility conditions are met, as you are applying for entitlement to the same studies as you previously studied.   

Example 2: You have a valid decision for basic studies in psychology for the period from 1 April to 30 June 2024. You will start intermediate studies in psychology from 1 September 2024, and you would also like to receive adult education allowance for these studies. Basic and intermediate studies in the same subject are considered to be the same studies, so you could be granted allowance for the time you applied for if all other eligibility conditions are met. 

Example 3: You have a valid decision for three individual courses at the Open University for the period from 1 May to 31 July 2024. After completing previous courses, you would like to continue your studies and apply for allowance for new individual courses starting from 1st of August 2024. You would like to apply for allowance for from 1 August to 30 September 2024. However, you could no longer be granted adult education allowance as of 1 st of August, as individual courses are always considered to be new studies. 

Example 4: You have a valid decision for three individual courses at the Open University for the period from 1 May to 31 August 2024. One of the courses would not start until 1st of August 2024. You could be paid on the basis of courses starting before the 31 July 2024. On the basis of a course starting on or after the 1 st August 2024, the allowance cannot be paid, as individual courses are always considered new studies. 

The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024. Parliament approved a bill to abolish adult education benefits 22 May 2024. The law has gon into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024

Adult education allowance can only be granted for studies starting before 1 August 2024. The transition period lasts until the end of 2025, during which it will be possible to apply for more funding rights as well as payment of allowance if both studies and the allowance period would start no later than 31 July 2024. If your studies and entitlement have started no later than 31 July 2024, the allowance will continue to be paid in accordance with the validity of your decision.

Scholarships for vocational qualifications may be awarded on the basis of a degree completed up to 31 July 2024. The scholarship must be applied for within one year of completing the degree.

The law has come into effect 1 June 2024. According to the Act, adult education allowance cannot be obtained under any circumstances for studies starting in the autumn of 2024.

Page updated: 1/6/2024