Students, check your housing benefits (now)!

Students, check your housing benefits (now)!

Housing benefits for students will change in August, when the majority of higher education students will be transferred from the general housing allowance to the student housing supplement on 1 Aug 2025.

The maximum amount of the student housing supplement is EUR 216–296 per month, covering up to 80% of your rent. Please check the amount you will receive, as the change may reduce your housing benefit by as much as EUR 100 per month. 
 
Since the housing supplement is part of student financial aid, the same income limits apply to both. However, the housing supplement is not affected by your partner’s income. The housing supplement is a personal benefit, which means that all students must apply for it separately. You can apply for the housing supplement in the OmaKela e-service starting in June, and the supplement can be paid starting from 1 August 2025 at the earliest. 
 
The housing supplement is only paid for the months when you also receive student financial aid. If you don’t receive student financial aid during the summer, you won’t receive the housing supplement either. Please note! This could mean you won’t receive the housing supplement for August. However, you may take out a student loan starting from 1 August. 
 
If you have children, have used up all your months of student financial aid, or your student financial aid payments have been suspended, this change will not affect you, and you can continue to apply for the general housing allowance. 
 
The Finnish Government decided on changes to housing benefits as part of public finance savings in spring 2024. Aalto University Student Union (AYY) has opposed the transfer from the general housing allowance to the housing supplement, as well as the cuts to housing benefits for students.