Finland to pilot study voucher for youths who miss higher education slot

Finland will introduce a study voucher for young people who do not receive a place in higher education, allowing them to take open university courses, Minister of Science and Culture Mari-Leena Talvitie (NCP) said at a press conference on Thursday, as reported by Yle.

Under the pilot programme, the voucher can be used for up to 30 credits of study in Finnish or Swedish. It is intended for those who applied through the joint application system but did not secure a place.

“Far too many young people do not get the study place they are aiming for and hoping for in higher education,” Talvitie said.

Each year, approximately 21,000 new upper secondary school graduates and 3,250 vocational qualification holders in Finland fail to gain admission to their preferred higher education programme, according to the minister.

Data from the 2025 Youth Barometer shows that four out of five young people wish to complete a higher education degree.

The minister said she hopes the voucher can be introduced this autumn, though the timeline depends on parliamentary processing.

The government estimates that more than 30,000 young people will use the voucher over the three-year pilot period. The draft bill entitles those who completed their first upper secondary qualification in Finland before age 29 between December 1, 2025, and July 31, 2028, provided they applied through joint admission and did not receive or accept a place.

The pilot is part of a broader government programme to raise educational attainment, backed by 100 million euros. Talvitie said the voucher scheme accounts for over 50 million euros of that total.

The voucher will function as a payment instrument in the universities’ shared Opin.fi service. Open university courses can charge up to 45 euros per credit, though fees are typically around 15 euros per credit.