Last week, the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) issued a statement to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on the Government Decree on student health care fees for higher education students in 2025.
Health care fee for higher education students
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposed that the student-specific health care fee charged by Kela be reduced from its current level in 2024. The level proposed for next year was EUR 71.20, or EUR 36.60 per semester. This year, the health care fee was EUR 73.60. According to the proposal, the reduction would amount to EUR 1.20 per semester.
SYL supported the proposal by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. According to your estimates, the health care services needed by higher education students require the FSHS to be adequately resourced to meet the growth in service needs and student numbers. In SYL’s view, the proposed figure of 307,000 higher education students next year – 305,000 of whom are covered by the national contribution – is a realistic estimate of the number of students.
As stated in the explanatory memorandum to the Decree, in recent years, the actual number of students has regularly exceeded the figure estimated by Kela. On several occasions, SYL has expressed its concerns about the model that links the funding for student health care to an estimated number of students, as this has resulted in situations where the actual number of students has continuously exceeded the estimate drawn up for the budget. Moreover, since 1 January 2024, a discrepancy between the estimated budget figure and actual number of students will not automatically lead to a revision of the FSHS’s funding level, which we do not consider a fair approach.
In SYL’s view, the estimated number of students for next year is, for the first time since the expansion of the FSHS, at an expectedly realistic level.
In our statement, we hoped that, next year, the FSHS would no longer have to struggle due to a lack of funding, as was the case this year. The situation has been particularly critical this year, as the gap between the budget and the updated situational picture provided by the ministry has already risen to 22,000 higher education students.
SYL was therefore in favour of a small reduction in the health care fee, as it is the result of a positive and supportable upward adjustment in the number of students. In this case, the increase in the number of fee-paying students in the budget is also reflected in the size of the health care fee.
Late-payment fee
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposed that no increase be made to the health care fee, in which case it would remain at EUR 5.00 instead of rising by EUR 0.34 next year.
In its statement, SYL considered the proposal justified. Keeping the payment as-is would keep it in line with the EUR 5 payment reminder fee, which is commonly used in consumer debt collection.
Fee for missed appointments
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health proposed keeping the same fee for missed appointments, which was increased to EUR 56.70 in 2024 to correspond to the level charged in other primary health care.
SYL opposed the proposed level and, as in the previous year, considered it unreasonable for students.
According to SYL, the increase made this year, i.e. EUR 16.70 (+42% compared to last year’s level), has not been reasonable. Our view was based on the already weakened livelihood of students, as well as the upcoming cut next year, i.e. the transfer of students to the housing supplement as of 1 August 2025.
In our view, the increase from EUR 40 to the current level of EUR 56.70 targets students who are already in a vulnerable position due to their deteriorated health. A missed appointment may be the result of various factors, such as a challenging mental health episode due to, for example, severe anxiety or depression, or other life situations that can significantly impair a person’s health and resources.
As a result, SYL considered that the proposed fee could continue to cause situations for student health care where, for example, a student struggling with their mental health is unable to pay the significantly increased fee, in which case it may be referred to debt collection. This would impair not only the student’s current situation but also their future livelihood.
The latest results of the Finnish Student Health and Wellbeing Survey (KOTT, THL 2024) confirm that the financial situation of students has deteriorated compared to previous years. A clear increase can be observed in the share of students who felt that, in the past year, their income had been very scarce and uncertain: in 2021, this figure was 13%, while in 2024 it was 19%. According to the survey, this increase in reduced income applies to both men and women studying at universities and universities of applied sciences.
According to the results of the survey, the share of students who were afraid of running out of food in the last year also increased between 2021 (17%) and 2024 (24%). It is very alarming to consider that almost one in four students were concerned about running out of food.
As a result, SYL proposed that, next year, the fee for missed appointments be reduced to EUR 40, i.e. its previous level in 2023.
Further information:
Henri Kontkin
Social Policy Adviser
National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL)
henri.kontkin@syl.fi
+358 40 413 4411
