Finnish college rejects marriage as proof of family ties

Chen still has to pay tuition at a Finnish university of applied sciences despite marrying a Finnish man, because the school says their marriage certificate does not prove she is his family member, Yle reports.

Under Finnish law, a family member of a Finnish citizen is exempt from tuition fees. But the law does not specify what evidence higher education institutions can require. Chen’s school, South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences, known as Xamk, requires a family-based residence permit issued by the Finnish Immigration Service.

One academic year in Xamk’s English-language programme costs students from outside the EU and European Economic Area 10,700 euros. A scholarship Chen received from the school covers a quarter of that amount. She married Mikko in July after checking in advance with experts that having a Finnish family member would entitle her to study without paying tuition.

Yle is using pseudonyms for the couple to avoid potential harm to their studies and careers. Chen says the situation is unfair and unlawful.

Xamk commercial and international affairs director Mika Ruponen says all universities of applied sciences require a residence permit as proof of family ties. He says the Immigration Service has access to more information and expertise to assess cases than the institutions do. Applying the same requirements across all such colleges also prevents students from choosing a school with lower standards, he says.

Applications for family-based residence permits issued to students doubled in 2023 and reached a peak the following year, according to Immigration Service statistics. Henna Närhi of the Ministry of Education and Culture says some students are likely using the permits to avoid tuition fees, particularly as fees have risen. But Immigration Service information services director Johannes Hirvelä says some students have formed relationships and started families in Finland. For a student who marries a Finnish citizen, changing to a family-based permit can be a straightforward step, he says, and does not necessarily indicate another motive.

In the past, some students from outside the EU and EEA obtained work-based residence permits to avoid tuition fees. According to Närhi, as many as half of international students did so at some higher education institutions. A legal change in December 2024 closed that route: students who originally came to Finland on a student residence permit must pay tuition even if they later receive a work-based permit.

Other changes have also affected international students. Since 2022, student residence permits have covered the full period of study rather than needing annual renewal. From 2026, higher education institutions must charge students from outside the EU and EEA fees that cover the cost of providing their education, and cannot use state funding for scholarships for students who are liable to pay those fees.