Enrolment for the academic year

Enrolment instructions for new students

Students accepted during spring 2025 are required to enroll as present or absent for the academic year 2025-2026 by 10 July 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Finnish time, or by the later date and time given to an applicant accepted from the waiting list.

You can accept the study place and enroll electronically. You can accept the study place electronically on My Studyinfo -service, if you have Finnish internet banking codes, Finnish electronic ID-card or mobile certificate. Enrolment has to be done by 10 July 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Finnish time. Please note that accepting a study place is a binding choice, and you cannot cancel or change your choice later. 

If you do not confirm the study place you have been offered and enroll for the academic year 2025-2026, the offer will expire and you will lose the study place. Once an offer for a study place has expired, the study place cannot be returned in the future.

If you can’t accept the study place and enroll electronically, please contact Admissions Office by email: admissions@samk.fimail.

According to the Polytechnic act 1st year student can enroll as absent only, if he or she:

• is carrying out his military service or civilian service or her voluntary military service according to Finnish legislation,
• is on maternity, paternity or parental leave.
• is unable to start one’s studies because of sickness or injury.

If you are enrolling as absent in Satakunta University of Applied Sciences for the academic year 2025-2026, you are required to provide a document about the statutory reason of your absence. The document (e.g. a copy of draft letter, decision on parental grant or medical certificate) should be delivered by email to the Admissions Office by 10 July 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Finnish time, if no other date and time are given. As a rule, if you are enrolling as absent, you must do it before the academic year begins. Changes to the enrollment status cannot be done after the academic year in question has begun.

Please note that if you are an international student, and you have a statuatory reason which allows you to enroll as absent for the 1st academic year, you must provide proof of that statuatory reason before applying for a residence permit for studies in Finland. You can only arrive in Finland once you are able to physically start your studies on campus in the degree programme you have been accepted to. For example, if you enroll as absent for the 1st academic year of your studies because you have just had a baby or you are soon about to give birth, you can only arrive in Finland once your maternity leave is over and you are able to start your studies in the degree programme you have been accepted to. If you need guidance in this matter, please contact admissions@samk.fi.

As present student you can carry out studies: enroll to and participate in study modules, get them evaluated, participate in practical training, complete thesis, apply for the Degree Certificate and graduate. Finnish students with a present enrolment status are also entitled to Finnish study grant.

As absent student you cannot carry out studies, complete practical trainings, transfer credits or receive study grant. An absent student can’t use Finnish Student Health Services.

Please note that if you are a new student residing outside of Finland and you have enrolled as absent, you cannot enter Finland until 30 days before you are going to physically start your studies on campus.

Enrolment instructions for continuing students

Student who is from other than EU or EEA countries and are required to enroll as present by paying the tuition fee of the starting academic year. Student will receive tuition fee payment instructions to their email a few weeks before the payment deadline. The tuition fee must be paid before the semester starts.

If you have a document that exempts you from paying the tuition fee please provide a scanned copy of the document to the Admissions Office (admissions@samk.fimail) before the payment due date.

A student who isn’t required to pay tuition fees will either do the enrolment in Lokilaunch (LOKI-> Studies -> Semester Enrollment – this applies to EU/EEA citizens who have been enrolled as present during the preceding semester), or through an e-form that student will receive to their email (non-EU/EEA citizens or EU/EEA citizens who have been enrolled as absent during the preceding semester).

If a student doesn’t enroll as absent or pay the tuition fee (if required) and enroll as present during the enrolment period, student will be considered to have resigned from SAMK. In such case, the student will lose his or her study right in SAMK from the beginning of the next semester.

As present student you can carry out studies: enroll to and participate in study modules, get them evaluated, participate in practical training, complete one’s thesis, apply for the Degree Certificate and graduate. Academic terms with the present status wear down student’s maximum study time. Students are also entitled to use the services of FSHS (Finnish Student Health Services, YTHS in Finnish) and obliged to pay the health care fee. Academic terms with the present status wear down student’s maximum study time.

As absent student you cannot carry out studies, complete practical trainings, transfer credits or receive study grant. An absent student can’t use Finnish Student Health Services. A student can enroll as absent at most for two (2) academic semesters without a specific reason without shortening the maximum study time.

Specific reasons to be absent after the first academic year are:

• the student is carrying out his/her military service or civilian service or his/her voluntary military service according to Finnish legislation,
• the student is on maternity, paternity or parental leave.

In such case, the student is required to present proof of the reason for their absence (such as a medical certificate or a decision on parental grant) while enrolling. Such certificates should be sent to admissions@samk.fimail prior to the enrollment due date.

Please note if you have been granted a residence permit to Finland based on studies, and that although you can enroll as absent for two (2) semesters during your studies without a specific reason after the first academic year, it is your responsibility to inform Migri if you intend to enroll as absent and inquire from them whether it is within your residence permit requirements to enroll as absent although you have come to Finland to study.

Changing your enrollment status from present to absent

Autumn semester: Changing your enrollment status from present to absent, and transferring your tuition fee to the next semester is only possible if you have a valid reason (for example if the student is unable to continue their studies at that moment due to sickness or injury, and the student has a doctor’s note stating so) and you inform the Admissions Office of SAMK by 31 August that you want to change your enrollment status. Transferring the tuition fee to the next semester is not possible for any other reasons.

Spring semester: Changing your enrollment status from present to absent, and transferring your tuition fee to the next semester is only possible if you have a valid reason (for example if the student is unable to continue their studies at that moment due to sickness or injury, and the student has a doctor’s note stating so) and you inform the Admissions Office of SAMK by 1 January that you want to change your enrollment status. Transferring the tuition fee to the next semester is not possible for any other reasons.

In general, once the tuition fee for a certain semester has been paid, it cannot be transferred to another semester later on.

Changing your enrollment status from absent to present after the enrollment period

If you want to change your enrollment status from absent to present, that can technically be done at any time during the semester. However, changing your enrollment status mid-semester does not affect the price of the semester. Thus, you are still required to pay the full fee for that semester even if you change your enrollment status from absent to present mid-semester. Please also note, that changing your enrollment status from absent to present mid-semester might affect your possibilities to enroll for courses, for example.

If you change your enrollment status to present mid-semester, you are required to pay the FSHS fee for the semester in question and it is your responsibility to make sure you have paid the fee in time. More information about the FSHS fee can be found from Kela's websitelaunch.