The Finnish education system is flexible and offers individual study opportunities to adults who have fled the war in Ukraine. As a rule, prospective students are free to apply to education programmes, and no particular nationality or residence status in Finland is required for this. Resourcing and service coordination have been carried out in municipalities to initiate the learning and education of adults, and operating models for this have been ready.
Opettajat ja neljä aikuista opiskelijaa istuvat pöydän ääressä ja opettaja ohjaa tehtävää, jota opiskelijat tekevät.
Photo: Satu Haavisto

Those who have fled Ukraine can apply for temporary protection in Finland. More information about matters concerning temporary protection is available on the website of the Finnish Immigration Service. When a person receiving temporary protection has resided in Finland for at least a year and their residence permit has been extended, the person can apply for a municipality of residence from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. The person can themselves choose a new municipality of residence, which may affect the need for services in the municipality. The municipality must inform the person about the right to education and provide information about the municipality’s services and how to seek them.

Liberal adult education

An adult can also apply to a study programme in liberal adult education. If an integration plan is drawn up for the person by the municipality or the TE Office and a Finnish or Swedish language course for immigrants organised in liberal adult education is accepted as part of it, the course is free and the provider of the educational institution receives a government transfer to local government as funding for 100 per cent of the course. A municipality may draw up an integration plan for the person at this person's request and if the municipality considers that the person needs it.

Education in liberal adult education is otherwise subject to a fee. A person within the scope of temporary protection is not entitled to education vouchers aimed at lowering the student fees in liberal adult education. Those granted a right to a municipality of residence are entitled to education vouchers aimed at lowering the student fees in liberal adult education.

  •  Liberal adult education 

  • Basic education for adults

    An adult within the scope of temporary protection who has completed education corresponding to basic education can apply to basic education for adults or general upper secondary school for adults, for example, to study Finnish or Swedish as a subject student. In this case, studying is subject to a fee. However, the education provider may decide to provide education at its own expense to them, as well.

    If the adult has not completed education corresponding to basic education, they may apply to study in basic education for adults. Completing the entire basic education syllabus is free of charge. A Ukrainian person of compulsory education age who has completed the basic education syllabus or studies corresponding to it but who does not have sufficient proficiency in Finnish or Swedish to complete education following basic education may complete compulsory education by participating in basic education for adults.

    • Preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification

      The study options for an adult also include preparatory education for programmes leading to an upper secondary qualification (TUVA). Both those receiving temporary protection and those granted the right to a municipality of residence can apply to it in a continuous application process round the year. In TUVA education, the student is expected to have sufficient basic language proficiency, but the student’s personal study plan may emphasise studies related to developing their proficiency in the language of the studies especially at the beginning of the education. The general objective in TUVA education is to achieve study capabilities that enable the student to apply to general upper secondary education or vocational education and training (VET), and complete these studies.

      Vocational education and training

      A place in VET can be applied for freely, and an adult who has been granted temporary protection can apply to the studies under the same conditions as a Finnish citizen. However, in this case the person is not entitled to the free learning materials, work equipment, work clothes and work materials required for the education. The education provider may still decide to provide them free of charge.

      VET provides eligibility for further studies in higher education. Learning that has been acquired previously can be included in vocational qualifications through recognition of prior learning.

      General upper secondary education for adults

      A person who has reached the age of 18 can apply to study in general upper secondary education for adults in their chosen educational institution. The student must have completed the basic education syllabus or a corresponding foreign education. In addition, sufficient proficiency in the language of instruction of the educational institution is required. In general, upper secondary education for adults, teaching and guidance are free of charge to persons completing the entire qualification, but studying individual subjects may be subject to a fee.

      General upper secondary education for adults imparts general and diverse capabilities for further studies at universities, universities of applied sciences, and VET based on the general upper secondary school syllabus. Documentation of the skills and knowledge acquired in general upper secondary education for adults includes the general upper secondary school certificate, matriculation examination certificate, general upper secondary school diplomas, and other proof.

      Further information

      In January/February 2023, EPALE – Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe collected information on the access of Ukrainian refugees to adult education activities in Finland. Read the article and familiarise yourself with local education providers’ good practices for supporting adults who have fled Ukraine on the EPALE online platform. EPALE is part of the European Union’s strategy aimed at increasing and improving the learning opportunities of all adults.

    • In addition, the European Union offers project partners in the Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes the possibility to support Ukrainians displaced or affected by the war. Read about the support measures on the programme websites.