Independent studies with unemployment benefit

If you are planning your studies or have already applied to study, contact the employment authority in your area immediately and ask whether it is possible for you to study independently with unemployment benefit.

When you are planning to study independently, contact an expert of the employment services by submitting a contact request in the E-services online service, for example. You will have to agree on the studies in the employment plan drafted with the expert before the commencement of your studies. The expert will assess your educational needs and the significance of studies for your employment.

You may receive unemployment security for studies you started earlier if at least a year has passed from the disruption of your studies, or if your studies started during a period when you received financial benefits paid by the employer, or if you started the studies as vocational labour market training.

When you receive a student place, ask the educational institution to fill in the form The education provider’s statement on planned studies. Fill in the form Arguments for a need of training, and submit the completed forms to the employment services. Once the employment services has received the forms, it makes a decision on supporting studies.

As a student receiving support, you have to report to the employment services on the progress of your studies, for example. If the employment services and the party paying the unemployment security do not receive the information they require, your entitlement to an unemployment security may expire, and you may have to pay back the security already paid to you.

Notify the employment services of the temporary discontinuation of studies. Notify as soon as possible, as you will be spending your support time until you inform them of the interruption. Dropping out of studies requires a valid reason, such as long-term work, long-term sick leave or family leave. For example, a holiday period of the educational institution is not considered a valid reason. An expert of the employment services will consider the validity of the reason you presented. Remember to inform the employment services also when your studies continue after a temporary break.

If you have been absent from your studies without an acceptable reason, you will no longer be entitled to unemployment security.

Short-term studies

You can receive unemployment security for short-term studies if

• you are a jobseeker in the employment services of your area
• you have turned 25 before the start of your studies
• the total duration of your studies is no more than six months
• the studies provide you with professional skills or support business activities.

If your short-term studies do not last for more than three months, you will have the opportunity to complete new short-term studies immediately after your previous studies have ended. If your studies last for more than three months, the right re-emerges when you meet the minimum employment condition, and the calculation of the maximum time for earnings-related unemployment benefit restarts.

Part-time studies

You can study part-time with unemployment benefit if

• you are a jobseeker in employment services in your area
• you are entitled to unemployment benefit
• your studies are considered part-time.

Full-time studies can be considered part-time if you have worked or been employed as an entrepreneur for at least six months during your studies. In such cases, you have proved by working that your studies are part-time. Full-time studies can also be considered part-time if you have started your studies during the employment relationship and you are laid off or dismissed from work on financial or production-related grounds. In such a situation, it is not required that the employment should have lasted for at least six months during the studies.

Full-time studies supported by unemployment benefit

You can receive unemployment security for full-time studies if

• you are a jobseeker in employment services in your area
• you are entitled to unemployment benefit
• the employment authority estimates that you need education, that the studies are the best way to promote your employment and that the studies significantly improve your chances of finding employment
• you have turned 25
• the studies meet the relevant criteria.

The studies may be supported for a maximum period of 24 months. However, if you are studying basic studies, the studies can be supported for 48 months.

You can receive unemployment security for independent studies only if an expert of employment services assesses that

• you need training,
• the studies would significantly improve your chances of finding employment and
• the studies are the best way to promote your employment.

In addition,

• you must be a jobseeker in employment services,
• you must be entitled to unemployment security,
• you must be at least 25 years old and
• the studies must meet the relevant criteria.

When independent study with unemployment security has begun, please note that you also have certain obligations. You must

• participate in teaching,
• progress in studies, which means that you must gain an average of 5 credits per study month in higher education studies, and in other studies, proceed in accordance with the education or study plan (on average, 3 credits per month or 4.5 ECVET points per month or at least 25 hours per week),
• report the progress of studies as agreed to the employment services,
• notify the employment services if the studies do not proceed as planned, the studies are interrupted or discontinued, or you start full-time work that lasts more than two weeks,
• announce the completion of studies,
• present a certificate of completed studies at the request of the local government pilot and
• apply for work as agreed in the employment plan, which in principle is to apply for three places during each three-month review period in the case of studies lasting more than one month (does not apply to full-time reading and writing skills training).