Unemployment benefit and part-time studying

When you are a customer of employment services, you must notify the employment services of the following studies:

1. Completing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a university of applied sciences,
2. Completing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in a university,
3. Completing a vocational upper secondary qualification or a module from a vocational qualification,
4. Completing a preparatory training for work and independent living,
5. Comprehensive school and upper secondary school studies,
6. Preparatory education for an upper secondary qualification (TUVA education),
7. Studies at an open university and an open university of applied sciences,
8. Postgraduate studies at a university (licensate and doctoral studies),
9. Completing a further or specialist vocational qualification or module,
10. Studies at a folk high school or a physical education training centre and
11. Other full-time studies providing professional skills with a duration of at least four days. Full-time studies refer to studies organised at least six hours a day.

If you are planning part-time studies with unemployment benefit, please contact the employment services well in advance.

If necessary, the employment services investigates your studies and always gives a statement to the payer of the unemployment security, i.e. Kela or the unemployment fund.

You can study part-time with unemployment benefits if you are entitled to unemployment benefits. For example, you must be a jobseeker in employment services and be prepared to apply for and accept full-time work during your studies.

Full-time studies may also be considered part-time if you have been working regularly for at least six months during your studies or are self-employed. 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.

Part-time studies include:

• Studies completed in an open university and an open university of applied sciences, with a maximum duration of three months, regardless of the scope of the studies,
• Studies in an open university and an open university of applied sciences, with a duration of more than three months, with an average scope of less than five credits per month of study,
• Studies leading to a further or specialist vocational qualification, the scope of which, according to the personal competence development plan (HOKS), is on average less than 4.5 competence points per month of study and
• Continuing vocational training, which is organised on average less than four days per calendar week.