As a member of the Unemployment Fund, you may in certain situations study while receiving earnings-related unemployment allowance. The government is currently preparing a legislative amendment that could make it easier in the future to study, particularly through open studies, while receiving unemployment benefits.
The government’s proposed legislative amendment could make open studies easier
The government has proposed changes to the Unemployment Security Act that could make it easier to study while receiving unemployment benefits in the future. According to the proposal, a jobseeker aged 25 or over would be allowed to study at an Open University, an Open University of Applied Sciences, an adult education centre, or a Summer University without losing their entitlement to unemployment benefits.
Under the current rules, the extent and duration of open studies may affect entitlement to unemployment benefits if the studies are considered full-time.
The aim of the proposed amendment is to make it easier for unemployed jobseekers to develop their skills during unemployment and to reduce the administrative work involved in assessing studies. However, jobseekers would still be required to actively seek work and be available to accept full-time employment while studying.
The proposal is currently being considered by Parliament, and the legislative amendment has not yet entered into force. The changes are intended to take effect in autumn 2026.
When is studying possible under the current rules?
You are eligible for a daily allowance if you study either
- part-time
- short-term, or
- for employment promotion measures.
The employment official evaluates whether the studies are full-time or part-time when it is a matter of
- university of applied sciences degree or higher university of applied sciences degree
- a lower or higher university degree or postgraduate studies to be completed at the university
- professional basic degree or part of a degree
- high school studies
- basic adult education
- a professional degree and a specialized professional degree or a part of such a degree
- education at a folk high school or physical education center
- studies lasting more than three months at an open university
Studies other than those mentioned above can be studied freely without losing unemployment benefit and you do not need to report them to the employment officials, because for other studies, part-time and full-time status are not examined.
The most important prerequisite for applying for earnings-related allowance for the duration of your part-time studies, short-time studies or employment promotion measures, is that the employment officials approves your studies to be completed during the unemployment or temporary lay-off period. Therefore, you must first contact your employment officials well in advance of your studies starting.
If the employment officials considers you a full-time student and the studies cannot be completed as an employment promotion measure, you cannot apply for earnings-related daily allowance from the unemployment fund, but instead you must turn to Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland), for example, to finance your studies.
Part-time studying
Part-time studying means that studying does not prevent you from applying for a full-time job. You can apply for daily allowance if
- you have notified the employment officials of your intention to study, and
- the employment officials considers you to be studying part-time.
Short-term studying
Short-term studying refers to studies that last a maximum of six months. You can apply for daily allowance if
- you have notified the employment officials of your studies,
- the employment officials considers you to be studying short-term,
- you are at least 25 years old, and
- the studies improve professional skills or support your business activities.
You can also complete your previously interrupted studies with six months of daily allowance, if
- at least one year has elapsed since the studies were interrupted.
During short-term studies, you are still obliged to apply for and accept work and to participate in employment promotion measures, if they are offered to you (by the employment officials).
Employment promotion measures
The employment promotion measures offered by the employment officials cover several options. In terms of studies, the most common services are labor policy education and self-motivated studies.
You can receive daily allowance, if
- you have agreed on an employment promotion measure together with the employment officials, and
- the employment officials accepts your participation in the service.
To compensate for travel and accommodation costs during periods of services promoting employment, an expense allowance is also paid for the days you participate in the service. However, no expense allowance is paid during periods of self-motivated studies.
For more detailed information, read our section on studying
For more information, visit JobMarket