The deadline for returning financial aid voluntarily for 2017 is 31 May 2018. Financial aid recipients can now check Kela’s e-service for preliminary information on their 2017 income which counts towards financial aid. To sign in to the e-service (at www.kela.fi/asiointi), customers need either their online bank user ID and password or a mobile ID. Preliminary information on annual income can be found by selecting (Opintotuki > Tukikuukaudet > Tulovalvonta > Vuositulot).
It is based on the income information pre-filled on the tax return as well as on information available about scholarships and grants and about income received from abroad. Certain types of income, such as income from self-employment and rental income, may be missing either completely or partially from the preliminary tax information. Also, the amount of income shown in the e-service may change once final tax information is available.
The information shown on the Vuositulot (Annual income) page of the e-service is intended to help students estimate whether they must return some financial aid for 2017. Students are by law ultimately responsible for estimating the annual income correctly and making sure that it does not exceed the annual limit. The income of financial aid recipients is checked on the basis of final tax information.
Students whose 2017 income exceeds the annual limit can return overpaid study grant and housing supplement payments by the end of May 2018. If overpaid financial aid is not returned by the end of May, Kela will collect the overpayments next spring at 7.5 percent interest.
Watch a 2-minute video guide on YouTube. The video guide includes step-by-step instructions for checking the amount of annual income. Students who exceed the annual income limit may sometimes find it difficult to decide how many months’ worth of financial aid payments they should return. The video shows in detail how to check that by accessing Kela’s e-service and online calculators.
Additional information for customers:
Online http://www.kela.fi/web/en/financial-aid-for-students-income
Telephone assistance with student financial aid: 020 634 2550, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 15:00
Student financial aid on Facebook www.facebook.com/opintotuki