If your state of health does not allow you to start studies immediately, you can register as absent for the first academic year. Instructions for registration can be found here: Lapland UAS and University of Lapland

Depending on your immigration status, you might be entitled to Kela’s social security financial aid. Please check the KELA webpages for detailed information: https://www.kela.fi/can-you-get-benefits-when-you-move-to-finland#students  

Information for those international students, who are entitled to Kela’s financial aid:  

• Students are entitled to sickness allowance in the same way as employees in an employment relationship. You can find instructions for students on Kela’s website. When receiving sickness allowance, you can study a little if you wish, but you are not obliged to do so.  

• Illness and sickness allowance may also have an impact on your student loan compensation, check Kela’s website for practices related to it. 

If you need to take a semester long break from your studies, you should register as non-attending for the next possible semester and you should not complete any study credits during that semester.  

If you have completed 60 ECTS in your 1st study year and take the break in the 2nd year, the scholarship will be postponed for the academic year you are returning back to your studies.  

If you have completed less than 60 ECTS credits during the study year, you will not be able to receive scholarship for next year. The scholaship term vary depending of the starting year of your study right, please check in detail from website: Lapland UAS  

You may register as non-attending for the maximum duration of two semesters.  

If you have completed all your studies with the exception of the thesis within your degree time, you can make a study plan with your study counsellor to complete your studies. If you graduate according to the plan, you may apply retroactively for discretionary scholarship. Note! You must register as an attending student and pay the Kela fee for the additional semester. More information can be found: Lapland UAS 
 

If you need to take a semester long break from your studies, you should register as non-attending for the next possible semester and you should not complete any study credits during that semester.
 
If you have completed 55/60 ECTS in your 1st study year and take the break in the 2nd year, the scholarship will be postponed for the semester you are returning back to your studies.  

If you have completed less than 55/60 ECTS credits in the 1st study year due to health problems, the continuation of the scholarship will be checked individually. In this case it’s important to be in contact with the Guidance services/Internationalisation services.   

You may register as non-attending for the maximum duration of two terms. Note! If you must pay tuition fees and have received a scholarship for your studies, the scholarships are available for a period of two years only. 

If you have not graduated within the two academic years (= by the end of July), you have the opportunity to finish your studies in 3 months (= until the end of October) without incurring any additional tuition fee charges. Note! You must pay the Student Union fee for the additional semester in order to be registered as an attending student, which is a prerequisite for graduation. 

If you fall ill during your mobility period, you can always contact the Internationalisation Services to discuss and consider all possibilities. The student may interrupt their mobility period at any time. In this case, the student is required to notify the Internationalisation Services without delay, prior to their return. Lapland UAS and University of Lapland 

Grants issued by the university may be subject to change if the student interrupts the mobility period before the planned end date. Illness can be a Force Majeure from the point of view of the grant, meaning that contracting parties have not been able to influence that. The Force Majeure case is reported to the national office and the Finnish National Agency for Education processes the reports on a case-by-case basis. 

Is your study right threatening to end due to illness? You can apply for an extension to your studies for health reasons. Instructions for applying for an extension can be found here: Lapland UAS and University of Lapland. 

If you must pay tuition fees and and have received a scholarship from ULapland, please note that scholarships are available for a limited time only. If you need an extension to your study period, extensions may be granted upon application, but please note that you will be financially responsible for the full tuition fees of the extension period you choose to apply for as well as all other expenses associated with your study.