Short-term studies with unemployment benefit
- Service
- Nationwide except the Åland Islands
- Public service
You can complete short-term studies while receiving an unemployment benefit, also known as unemployment security.
During short-term studies, you are still obliged to apply for and accept work, and participate in services promoting employment. The studies are not an acceptable reason to refuse a job. An increased unemployment benefit will not be paid on the basis of studying.
The TE Office or lo ...
Do the following
When you are a customer of the TE services, all studies must be reported to the TE Office or the local government pilot.
If you are planning to start studying, please contact the TE Office or the local government pilot well in advance. Do not report short-term studies by submitting a change report in the My e-Services online service. Instead, contact the TE Office or the local government pilot before starting the studies either by leaving a contact request or calling the general advisory service for private customers.
When necessary, the TE Office or local government pilot will investigate your studies and submit a statement to the payer of the unemployment security, i.e. Kela or the unemployment fund.
To whom and on what terms
You must meet certain conditions to be eligible for unemployment security when studying.
- You are registered as a jobseeker with the TE Services.
- You are over the age of 25.
- The total duration of your studies is less than six months.
- The studies will provide you with professional skills or promote your business plans.
The studies must promote your employment, so you cannot receive unemployment security for studies that are clearly of recreational nature.
If the total duration of your studies is over six months, they are not considered short-term. In this case, you should find out whether you are entitled to independent studies or part-time studies supported with unemployment benefit.
If you wish to continue studies that have previously been interrupted, at least one year must have passed since the interruption started.
The right to short-term and full-time study on unemployment benefit is a one-off opportunity, which re-emerges when you meet the minimum employment condition of 26 weeks, and the calculation of the maximum time for earnings-related unemployment benefit restarts.
It may be possible to amortise short-term studies provided you contact the TE Office or the local government pilot in good time.
Short-term studies use up the maximum length of time for earnings-related unemployment benefit just like regular studies.