Citizens of non-EU/EEA countries, who do not have a permanent residence status in Finland, are liable to pay tuition fees.  See the full list of exempted students below. If you are unsure about whether you are subject to tuition fees, please check the FAQ of the Studyinfo website or contact admission@abo.fi.

The individual student’s fee will remain the same throughout the completion of the programme. Fees are not charged of students who began their studies before 1 August 2017.

The tuition fee can be paid in one or two installments, the deadline is the last day of enrolment each semester.

• The payment can be made on our webshop. (If you pay via the webshop, you do not need to send us a separate receipt).

         OR

• by using the bank details in your admissions letter, in that case please send the receipt of the payment to studentservice@abo.fi

If you have any questions, please contact admission@abo.fi.

N.B.! The tuition fee refund policy below is subject to change from December 1st 2024 due to Government proposed changes to legislation. The new tuition fee refund policy will be published during the autumn 2024.

According to the proposal, students who have previously been exempted from paying tuition fees due to a change of residence permit basis would continue to be exempted from paying tuition fees. The change applies to persons who obtain a residence permit on a non-study basis on or after 1 December 2024, regardless of when their studies started.

Tuition fee refund policy up until November 31st, 2024:

The tuition fee can be refunded fully or partially in the following situations:

Residence permit

• A Negative decision on the residence permit application. In this case the negative decision from the Finnish Immigration Services is required to be submitted to the Admissions Services admission(at)abo.fi.
• A change in the residence permit situation:

*Example 1: If a student who is accepted in spring, receives a permanent type of residence permit based on other grounds than studies before the studies begin, and the permit is valid from the 1st August (at the latest) and onwards, they will be exempted from tuition fee until the expiry of the residence permit. If the student has already paid the tuition fee, the fee will be returned fully.

*Example 2: If a student who is accepted in spring, receives a permanent type of residence permit based on other grounds than studies before the studies begin, but the permit will only be valid for example from the 1st of October onwards, they will be exempted from the 1^st of October and onwards, until the expiry of the residence permit. If the student has already paid the tuition fee, the fee will be returned from the 1st of October onwards.

*Example 3: A second-year student receives a permanent-type of residence permit based on other grounds than studies for example on the 1st of October, and has already paid the tuition fee, the fee will be returned from the 1st of October onwards.

Non-attendance
If the student has already paid the tuition fee and registers as non-attending by the registration deadline, the fee can be returned. The student must apply for refund by the 30th of September (autumn semester) or the 31st January (spring semester).

Graduation

If the student graduates by January 31^st, they are allowed to graduate without payment of the tuition fee for the spring semester.
If the student graduates by September 30^th, they are allowed to graduate without payment of the tuition fee for the autumn semester.
In these cases, please contact admission(at)abo.fi.

Please note that if the student graduates in the middle of the autumn term (after September 30th), and has paid the tuition fee for the whole academic year, Åbo Akademi University will only return payments made for the spring term. (Refunds are done only per term.)

Conditionally accepted student
A conditionally accepted student does not meet the conditions by the given deadline.

Renouncement of study right
Student renounces their study right with a written form. If the student renounces their study right for example on the 1st of October, the payment will be returned from the 1st of October onwards. Scholarship that has been granted as a tuition fee waiver only, will not be collected back from the student. Tuition fees will be returned only upon application.

Force majeure events
The degree programme is not offered, or a force majeure event occurs.

Tuition fees will be returned only upon application, email your application to admission(at)abo.fi.

• Exchange students
• PhD students
• citizens of EU/EEA states or Switzerland
• family members of Finnish citizens (you need to have a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen in Finland)
• holders of a permanent Finnish residence permit or a long-term resident’s EU residence permit (P, P-EU)
• holders of a fixed-term continuous residence permit (A) that has not been granted based on studies.
• holders of an EU Blue Card (a residence permit card with a marking “EU Blue Card” as the type of the permit)

Åbo Akademi University will waive the tuition fees from asylum seekers living in Finland who have been admitted to a programme where the language of instruction is English.

The fixed-term continuous residence permit (A) must be valid at the beginning of each academic year (1 August) and be granted for other reasons than that of studies, to exempt the student from paying tuition fees. Students are granted the fixed term continuous residence permit (A) from 2022 onwards and if the A permit is granted based on studies, it does not exempt the student from paying tuition fees.

Read more about tuition fees on Studyinfo.fi.

During the transition period British students were not liable to the tuition fees. The transition period ended 31 December 2020.

Tuition fees will not be charged

• • from British citizens or their family members who currently reside in Finland and have applied for the right of residence by 30 September 2021.
    Proof of right to residence, or proof that the student has applied for it (from Migri) is sufficient for exemption.
  • from British citizens or their family members who have arrived to Finland between 1 October 2020 and 31 December 2020 and have applied for the right of residence by 31 December 2020. Proof of registration or application (from Migri) is required.

Tuition fees will be charged

• • From British citizens and their family members who arrive to Finland after 1 January 2021. Tuition fees will be charged in the same way as from all non-EU/EEA citizens. British citizens may also apply for scholarships.

For instructions on how to apply for the right to residence in accordance with the withdrawal agreement please see the immigration services website.

For questions please email admission@abo.fi.

The participation cost (i.e. tuition fee) for the double degree EDISS master’s programme is charged from all admitted students (incl. students from the EU/EEA area).

The tuition fee can be paid in one or two installments, the deadline is usually by the last day of registration to each term.

Contact ediss@abo.fi for further information.