Changes in the liability status

Instructions on the steps to take if your liability to pay tuition fees at JYU changes.

Table of contents

Liability to pay tuition fees

The University of Jyväskylä collects tuition fees from students in the English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes who are citizens of countries other than those of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland. 

At the University of Jyväskylä, no tuition is charged from students who:

  • study in a programme taught in Finnish or Swedish
  • are doing an exchange period or summer/winter school at JYU
  • study in a doctoral programme
  • study with an alumni study right

English-taught bachelor's and master's programmes:

Who needs to pay tuition fees?

  • most non-EU/EEA citizens must pay tuition fees for a bachelor’s or master’s degree programme taught in English.

Who does not pay tuition fees?

  • citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland,
  • British citizens who entered Finland before 1 January 2021 and registered the right to residence in Finland under the withdrawal agreement,
  • those granted temporary protection status in Finland,
  • students who have started their studies before 1 August 2017
  • holders of certain residence permits issued by the Finnish Immigration Service:

Residence permits exempting from tuition-fee liability 
(according to amendments to the Universities Act from 1 December 2024):

  • A permanent residence permit card in Finland, type P permit
  • An EU residence permit for third-country citizens with a long-term residence permit card in Finland (type P-EU permit)
  • An EU blue card in Finland
  • A Brexit residence permit card, type SEU-sopimuksen 50 artikla = Right of residence under the withdrawal agreement, or P SEU-sopimuksen 50 artikla = Right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement
  • A residence card in Finland of a family member of a Finnish citizen, an EU citizen or any of the above-mentioned categories
  • A residence permit on the basis of temporary protection in Finland. The permit has to be valid at the beginning of the study right and cannot be revoked at a later stage.

In addition, a continuous residence permit card in Finland, type A permit, exempts you from paying tuition fees except in the following cases:

  • If your continuous residence permit (type A) is granted for studying, you are required to pay tuition fees.
  • If your first residence permit in Finland was granted for the purpose of studying, you must pay tuition fees.
  • If you have a continuous residence permit (type A) based on family ties in Finland, and your family member originally came to Finland on a residence permit granted for studying, you are also required to pay tuition fees.

During the admission process to our Bachelor's and Master’s programmes taught in English, the applicant’s liability to pay tuition fees is checked. Admitted students are informed of their liability status as of the beginning of their studies in the Letter of Admission. After that, the student's liability status is determined on a semester basis.

Please note, that if you were exempt from tuition fee liability based on the validity of your residence permit and your residence permit card expires before the end of your studies or your residence permit type changes, you must present a copy of your new residence permit by sending a confidential email to degree-students@jyu.fi. In case you fail to do so or if your new residence permit no longer exempts you from paying the tuition fee, we will charge the tuition fee starting from the next semester after the expiration of your previous document.
 

Information for students exempt from tuition fee liability before 1 December 2024

You are exempt from tuition-fee liability if you have been granted the study right and were exempt from tuition fee liability before 1 December 2024, following the previous version of the law:

  • you are in possession of a valid residence permit in Finland of the type A (granted for a purpose other than studies), P, P-EU, EU Blue Card,  Brexit residence permit card (SEU-sopimuksen 50 artikla = Right of residence under the withdrawal agreement or P SEU-sopimuksen 50 artikla = Right of permanent residence under the withdrawal agreement ), or a residence card for a family member of an EU citizen.

During the admission process to our Bachelor's and Master’s programmes taught in English, the applicant’s liability to pay tuition fees was checked. Admitted students were informed of their liability status as of the beginning of their studies in the Letter of Admission. After that, the student's liability status is determined on a semester basis.

Please note, that if you were exempt from tuition fee liability based on the validity of your residence permit and your residence permit card expires before the end of your studies or your residence permit type changes, you must present a copy of your new residence permit by sending a confidential email to degree-students@jyu.fi. In case you fail to do so or if your new residence permit no longer exempts you from paying the tuition fee, we will charge the tuition fee starting from the next semester after the expiration of your previous document.

In case your studies were interrupted or you have been granted a new study right, your tuition fee liability status will be checked again following the current version of the law.

Changes in the liability status

Students who are completing their Bachelor's or Master’s degree in English and have started their studies on 1 August 2017 or thereafter must inform the university immediately if their status changes so that they become liable to pay tuition fees, or become freed from the liability.

1. The student was liable for the tuition fee at the beginning of the studies, but the residence permit type or citizenship changed during the studies

When a student’s citizenship or the type of residence permit changes, the student shall immediately present an official document (a passport and a decision on citizenship, or a residence permit card) indicating the new status by sending a confidential email to degree-students@jyu.fi, and request that we determine the tuition fee liability status. Please note that the University will not return study fees for the semester during which the liability status is changed. If the student has already paid the annual tuition fee that also covers the next semester, the fee for that semester will be returned.

2. The student was not liable to pay the tuition fee at the beginning of the studies, but became liable during the studies

When a student’s citizenship*) or the type of the residence permit changes so that the student becomes liable to pay tuition, the student shall immediately present an official document (a passport, a decision on granted citizenship, or a residence permit card) indicating the new status by sending a confidential email to degree-students@jyu.fi. The University will charge the tuition fee starting from the next semester after the status change.

*) For citizenship, this applies to situations where a new citizenship in a certain country requires abandoning the citizenship of another country. If a student has to give up the citizenship of Switzerland or an EU/EEA country and becomes a citizen of a country other than these, he/she needs to obtain a residence permit in order to stay in Finland. Once obtained, the residence permit must be presented as soon as possible. On the basis of the type of the permit, JYU will determine if the student has become liable to pay tuition fees.

Further information

JYU International Office
HelpJYU form / degree-students@jyu.fi
(meetings by appointment only)

Information for students liable to pay tuition fees

Information on tuition fees, scholarship programme, registration, graduation, and other matters relevant for students liable to pay tuition fees.

Tuition fee payment and fee return policy

Information on tuition fees, the payment methods, and the fee return policy at JYU.