{
  "id": 650445,
  "title": "Finland sees dramatic drop in student applications from abroad",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/12/finland-sees-dramatic-drop-in-student-applications-from-abroad",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-12T09:30:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yle News Finland",
    "slug": "yle-news-finland",
    "url": "https://yle.fi/a/74-20240590?origin=rss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Student applications from abroad to Finnish universities of applied sciences have plummeted to around 12,000 this year, a sharp decline from 60,000 just two years prior. Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, for instance, received only 1,200 foreign applications this year, down from 25,000 in 2023. Centria University of Applied Sciences saw its numbers plummet from 13,000 to just 1,000 over the same period.\n\nCentria rector Tapio Huttula attributes this drop to Finland's challenging job market and the limited employment opportunities faced by foreign students. He emphasized that students and their families often invest significant resources in education, expecting the students to secure employment upon graduation. Huttula highlighted that under these circumstances, securing steady work becomes crucial for students and their families.\n\nReports suggest that unscrupulous agents have been spreading misleading information to prospective fee-paying students about life in Finland. These individuals often end up in poverty and marginalization due to deception, increasingly relying on government assistance. In response, Finland's government has introduced stricter rules and criteria for international students, including revoking residence permits for those receiving social assistance, raising the minimum income requirement, and imposing stricter rules on family reunification.\n\nAdditionally, a new 100-euro fee for applications from outside the EU and EEA areas was implemented in 2025 to curb baseless applications. Finland's tightening of regulations has coincided with initiatives in South Asian countries aimed at preventing brain drain. The loss of fee-paying students from abroad is expected to have a significant financial impact on many Finnish universities. However, Centria rector Huttula noted that it is beneficial if those who do come can successfully complete their degrees.",
  "summary": "One university of applied sciences received just 1,200 applications this year from outside the EU and EEA areas, down from over 25,000 in 2023.",
  "key_points": [
    "Student applications to Finnish universities dropped to 12,000 from 60,000",
    "Haaga-Helia received only 1,200 foreign applications this year",
    "Finland tightened regulations, introduced 100-euro application fee"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}