Press Release 20/12/2019
Free for publication
During its plenary session the Finnish Parliament has decided to give the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) approximately 1.4 million euros out of the unallocated funds in the state budget, to be spent on the expansion of the health care services to include students at universities of applied sciences, with preparations due to begin next year.
“We are extremely grateful to Parliament, who has recognised the importance of high-quality student health care and wants to ensure that this significant reform is successful,” says Sanni Lehtinen, President of the National Union of University Students in Finland.
Legislation pertaining to student health care for students in higher education (Act 695/2019) was passed in the spring 2019. This means that from the beginning of 2021, the services provided by the FSHS can be accessed by all students in higher education. The reform increases student equality and strengthens the FSHS’ position as a service provider in the student health care sector.
When preparing the legislation, the estimated cost of the one-off investments required for the expansion was approximately 5,9 million euros. Since then the number has been adjusted to approximately 4.4 million euros as the preparations for the expansion have advanced and the plans have become more detailed.
Out of these 4.4 million euros, the FSHS has already received 3.0 million euros in discretionary government transfers. Some of the 1.4 million euros that has now been granted will be used to acquire mobile dental units to bring the services to the students.
The FSHS is a non-profit foundation, so it does not have the means to cover these investments. The student movement has presented a united front and actively worked to have the missing funding included in the state budget.
“The additional funding from the Government is very important so that the expanded FSHS can become a functional, high-quality unit. On behalf of the students we want to say a big thank you to the Members of Parliament who have helped us promote this issue,” says Iiris Hynönen, President of the University of Applied Sciences Students in Finland – SAMOK.
More information
Sanni Lehtinen, President, National Union of University Students in Finland
+358 44 906 5007, sanni.lehtinen@syl.fi
Iiris Hynönen, President, University of Applied Sciences Students in Finland – SAMOK
+358 50 389 1000, iiris.hynonen@samok.fi
