AYY issued a statement opposing the increase in tuition fees for international students

The proposal would obligate higher education institutions to charge tuition fees, the proceeds of which would cover the costs of organising education, even after possible scholarships and tuition waivers. This change would almost certainly result in a significant reduction in scholarships, particularly at Aalto and other universities, as the majority of the tuition fee revenue has been allocated specifically for funding scholarships. AYY opposes these amendments.

Based on the government bill, an application processing fee of EUR 100 would also be introduced to reduce the number of ‘unconsidered and poor-quality applications’. In addition, the proposal aims to prevent the circumvention of tuition fees based on a change in residence permit, for example, by changing from a study-based residence permit to an employment-based one during the course of studies. AYY considers these proposals problematic.

However, there are also some positive aspects in the proposal. The proposed changes to commissioned education would improve the legal protection of students. Tuition fees would also no longer need to be collected if a student’s payments have already covered the actual costs. With the change, students would not necessarily need to pay the full fee solely for graduation or for writing a thesis.

You can find the whole statement below!