Finland Introduces a Minimum Income Requirement for International Students
The Finnish government, led by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, has decided to place the minimum income requirement for international students from outside the European Union on a legal footing. The decision follows growing public debate over the economic and social challenges faced by foreign students studying in Finland.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Finland’s Minister of Employment, Matias Marttinen, said the new regulation is intended to address the structural problems experienced by international students. Marttinen argued that the current system attracts students to Finland with misleading expectations, resulting in serious hardship for many.
The government is also considering whether unofficial education agents without formal agreements with universities should be banned. This move comes in response to an investigation conducted by MOT, the investigative unit of Finland’s public broadcaster Yle. The investigation revealed that third-party education consultants had provided fee-paying student applicants with false and misleading information about living conditions in Finland.
According to Yle, however, Finland’s ongoing unemployment crisis has particularly affected foreign nationals. The wide gap between promises made and the reality on the ground has left many students, who came to the country in the hope of a better life, facing poverty. The investigation also highlighted that some students have become dependent on assistance to meet their basic needs.