Studying in Turku
Cost of living
The Universities in Finland are state financed and there are presently no tuition fees. However, living in Finland is rather expensive, about 500-600€ per month for a single student, depending on accommodation costs and leisure activities. Students studying for a basic University degree must be members of the Student Union, the annual fee of which is 85€ (year 2008-2009). Members of the Student Union are entitled to Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) and several other benefits that soon outdo the initial costs. Please note that, even though the students are entitled to student health care, foreign students should take travel insurance at their home country before coming to Finland. The travel insurance should cover costs for health care when student health care is not available, e.g. during weekends and holidays.
Please note that the University of Turku does not offer scholarships or other financial assistance to its students; students are expected to finance their own living costs by themselves.
Residence permit
A foreign student must acquire a residence permit if his or her studies in Finland last for more than three months. Please find more information on Finnish Immigration Service website.
Is a student allowed to work while studying?
Students are permitted to do a limited amount of paid work under a residence permit issued for studies. Part-time employment is possible, if the working time comes to an average of 25 hours per week at most. There are no limitations on working hours in full-time employment during holidays, specifically the summer and Christmas holidays.
Information Guide for Students
All of the information a student needs to know about the University of Turku and studying in general has been compiled for this guide as well as information about the services meant to promote the student's well-being and studies.
Other useful links:
University of Turku
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Master's Degree Programmes at the University of Turku
Homepage of the city of Turku
Study in Finland (CIMO, Centre for International Mobility)
For current students
Course material and information about courses are available on http://bioinformatics.fi/.