Students to transfer from general housing allowance to student housing supplement on 1 Aug 2025

Parliament has decided that students will transfer from the general housing allowance scheme to the student housing supplement scheme starting from August. Please follow Kela’s website for up-to-date instructions on how to apply for the housing supplement. 

Students are eligible for the housing supplement if they live in rental or right-of-occupancy housing and receive student financial aid. Please note that this change will not affect students living with their child or their spouse’s child. They will continue to be eligible for the general housing allowance also in the future. If you live in a home owned by you or your partner, you are not eligible for the housing supplement. 

The housing supplement is only paid for the months when you are studying. Receiving the housing supplement and the amount of it depend on your housing costs and income. The same annual income limit applies to both the housing supplement and other forms of student financial aid. 

Everyone, including those already receiving student financial aid, must apply for the housing supplement separately from Kela. Applications can be submitted starting from June, using the notification of changes for student financial aid. New students can apply for housing supplement at the same as they apply for student financial aid.  

In the future, the housing supplement will cover 80 per cent of the rent or residence charge. However, the maximum rate of the housing supplement will be EUR 216, EUR 248 or EUR 296 per month, depending on the municipality in which the student lives. In Espoo, Helsinki, Vantaa and Kauniainen, the maximum amount of the housing supplement is €296/month. 

If living with friends, it should be noted that only a student’s own income affects eligibility and the amount of the housing supplement. The income of other people living in the same apartment will not affect the amount or eligibility for the housing supplement. Previously, a student may not have been eligible for the general housing allowance due to a spouse’s or roommate’s income. 

Learn more about how to apply for the housing supplement as a continuing or new student: 
https://www.kela.fi/news/housing-benefits-for-students-about-to-change