Refund of tuition fees 2026
On this page you will find information regarding the refund of tuition fees from 2026 onwards
If the study right at Arcada has begun from 1 August 2026 onwards, these rules and regulations regarding the refund of tuition fees apply. Detailed regulations are given as part of the admissions letter. By accepting the study place and paying the tuition fee, the student agrees to the terms as outlined in the admissions letter.
Arcada will grant a refund on tuition fees only for the following reasons and deduct the following refund handling fee:
| Cases where refund can be granted | Refund handling fee | |
| Admissions criteria not being met | €1,000 | |
| A long-lasting severe illness preventing studies or force majeure | €1,000 | |
| Residence permit being denied | €1,000 | |
| Applicant cancelling their residence permit application | €3,000 |
A refund of the tuition fees can not be granted for any other reason. The refund handling fee will be automatically deducted from the refund.
Please see further the regulations regarding all the reasons to apply for a refund below.
Refund application process
Before any refund process can begin, the student must contact the admissions office for further instructions and information on the refund process, should the student have a valid reason for a refund. The admissions office will provide the link to the application for a refund to the student in case a refund is possible. When applying for a refund, the student is responsible for submitting proof for the reason for a refund, such as a doctor's certificate or, in cases regarding residence permit, a certificate from the Finnish Immigration services that the residence permit has been denied or that the applicant has cancelled their application.
Reasons for refund of tuition fees 2026
Information on the refund of tuition fees for study rights that started from 1 August 2026 onwards.
Admissions criteria not being met
If the student is found not to meet eligibility criteria after tuition fee payment has been made, the student may apply for a refund.
In case of a refund, a handling fee of €1,000 will be automatically deducted from the refund.
Residence permit being denied
A refund can be granted if residence permit is denied by the Finnish Immigration Services. This does not however apply to online degrees.
A refund can only be granted if the student has no registered study credits in the study register or if studies are not given online. The application for refund should be submitted by 15 December if the study right begun in January of the same year. The application for refund should be submitted by 15 May if the study right begun in August of the previous year.
If results have been registered for the semester when the study right begun, or if studies are offered online, regardless of whether the student has participated or not, a refund can only be granted for the subsequent semester in which case the application for refund is to be submitted to Arcada by 15 March if the study right begun in August of the previous year. The application for a refund is to be submitted to Arcada by 15 October if the study right begun in January of the same year.
When applying for a refund, the student must attach the negative decision on residence permit issued by the Finnish Immigration Services.
In case of a refund, a handling fee of €1,000 will be automatically deducted from the refund.
Long-lasting severe illness or force majeure
A refund can be granted if the student is found to have a long-lasting, severe illness that prevents them from pursuing studies or cases of force majeure. In case of illness, the student must prove their case with an official doctor's certificate stating the medical reason and how this prevents studies. A student's own declaration of illness is not sufficient.
The refund can only be granted if the student has no registered study credits in the study register or if studies are not given online. The application for refund should be submitted by 15 December if the study rights began in August of the same year. The application for refund should be submitted by 15 May if the study right began in January of the same year.
If results have been registered for the semester when the study rights began, a refund can only be granted for the subsequent semester, in which case the application for refund is to be submitted to Arcada by 15 March if the study rights began in August of the previous year. The application for a refund is to be submitted to Arcada by 15 October if the study right began in January of the same year.
In case of a refund, a handling fee of €1,000 will be automatically deducted from the refund.
Applicant cancelling their residence permit application
A refund can be granted if the student has withdrawn their residence permit application after having waited an extensive period for the processing or decision on their application.
This does not however apply to online degrees. A refund can not be granted for this reason if education is offered only and completely online, as these studies do not require a residence permit to Finland.
A refund can only be issued if the student submits proof of a cancelled residence permit application issued by the Finnish Immigration Services (Migri). The certificate from Migri must indicate that the application for residence permit was submitted within a month of the date that the student was admitted to Arcada, that the processing time for the residence permit application has been a minimum of 5 months at the time of the refund application and that the application has been cancelled by the student.
The refund can only be granted if the student has no registered study credits in the study register or if studies are not given online. The application for refund should be submitted by 15 December if the study right began in January of the same year. The application for refund should be submitted by 15 May if the study right began in August of the previous year.
If results have been registered for the semester when the study right begun, or if studies are offered online, regardless of whether the student has participated or not, a refund can only be granted for the subsequent semester in which case the application for refund is to be submitted to Arcada by 15 March if the study right began in August of the previous year. The application for a refund is to be submitted to Arcada by 15 October if the study right began in January of the same year.
In case of a refund, a handling fee of €3,000 will be automatically deducted from the refund.