Tuition fees cause sharp drop in applications to Finnish vocational school

Applications to a Finnish vocational school’s international culinary program have collapsed following the introduction of tuition fees for students from outside the EU and ETA regions, reports Yle.

The Vaasa-based vocational institution Vamia received over 4,000 applications for its chef and restaurant training program last year. After implementing a €7,000 annual fee for non-EU/ETA students, this year’s applications plunged to just over 500.

The fee covers all educational costs, according to Vamia’s principal Åsa Stenbacka, who noted that the two-year program has been condensed by utilizing summers and offering shared course components online. Unlike Finnish students, international fee-paying students do not receive free lunches—a detail communicated during the application process.

The decline aligns with expectations from Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture. “We’ve seen the same pattern when universities introduced tuition fees—initial drops followed by gradual recovery,” said Petri Lempinen, the ministry’s director-general. He emphasized that the policy aims to ensure students’ primary motivation is education, not residency, while allowing institutions in labor-short regions to expand funded training through fee revenue.

Vamia, which handles its own admissions without external agents, previously saw peak application numbers near 8,000, with 4,059 submissions last year—1,962 from Nigeria alone. This year’s 500-plus applicants include around 100 invited for interviews. Stenbacka acknowledged the fee’s clear impact but hopes to avoid a shortfall in enrollees. Currently, 200–300 non-EU/ETA students study at Vamia.

The ministry’s Lempinen dismissed claims the policy targets immigration reduction, stating it instead supports institutions’ financial sustainability while addressing labor needs.