Open University contact details
Click here for contact details for Open University services and personnel.
Open University course list
Get to know our course selection
Open University course list
Get to know our course selection
Study voucher
The study voucher offers young people who have been left without a study place the opportunity to study 30 credits at the open university free of charge. With the study voucher, you can familiarise yourself with Aalto University’s different fields of study on open university courses and find out whether your future path could be at Aalto.
What is a study voucher?
A study voucher is a means of payment that you can use to pay for open studies at Finnish higher education institutions. The study voucher is intended for people under the age of 29 who have graduated from upper secondary education and applied to higher education in the joint application but have not received or accepted a study place at a higher education institution.
You can use the study voucher at your own pace over a period of two years: you do not need to use the entire voucher at once.
The study voucher is a fixed-term pilot project of the Ministry of Education and Culture. The first vouchers will be introduced in August 2026. Legislation concerning the study voucher is under consultation until 10 April 2026, so changes are still possible. This page will be updated with the most up-to-date information on the study voucher as details are confirmed.
Study opportunities at the Open University
With a study voucher, you can study anything offered by Aalto University Open University. You can choose individual courses according to your interests in business, engineering, arts, or languages, or complete a study module. You can also take Open University pathway courses, and by completing them you can apply for admission to degree studies in engineering or business. We will soon publish ready-made themed packages that gather studies around a specific theme to make it easy to get started.
Open university path in technology
Open University path in technology is available only in Finnish or Swedish. In order to complete Open University path one has be fluent in Finnish or Swedish.
Avoimen väylän opinnoilla kauppatieteen tutkinto-opiskelijaksi
Suorittamalla avoimen väylän kautta vähintään 42 opintopistettä erikseen määriteltyjä kauppatieteiden perusopintoja, voit hakea tutkinto-opiskelijaksi Aalto-yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulun kandidaattiohjelmaan (vuoden 2025 valintaperusteet).
Minor studies
At Aalto Open University you can complete minor studies
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
You can receive a study voucher if you meet the following conditions:
- you have completed your first upper secondary qualification after 1 December 2025
- you are under 29 years old on the day you graduate from upper secondary education
- and you applied for a study place in the spring joint application to higher education after completing your upper secondary qualification and after the law entered into force, but you did not receive a study place or did not accept the place you were offered.
The first study vouchers will be granted to eligible individuals who have applied as first-time applicants to higher education in the second joint application of spring 2026 (10–24 March 2026).
Please note that this information is still subject to change. The Ministry of Education and Culture will confirm the final criteria when the law concerning the study voucher enters into force.
If you are entitled to a study voucher, you can activate it in the Opin.fi service from 5 August 2026 onwards, once the results of higher education selections in the joint application have been confirmed and acceptance from waiting lists has also ended.
You do not need to apply separately for the study voucher and activating it does not commit you to anything. You can choose yourself which studies you enrol in and use the voucher at your own pace.
The study voucher covers all studies at Aalto University Open University.
At Aalto Open University, you can choose from
- individual courses in business, technology, arts and languages,
- thematic modules, which bring together studies on specific themes into packages of 2–5 courses,
- a wide range of minor subject studies and language paths
- and open university route studies, by completing which you can later apply to study for a degree in technology or business without an entrance examination.
You do not even need to know exactly what you want to study. The study voucher offers an opportunity to explore different fields and what it is like to study at a university. The study voucher is suitable both for people who already know what they are applying for and for those who want to try out different fields.
If your goal is to apply É«É«À² University as a degree student, it is worth familiarising yourself with different fields of study and degree programmes on the Studying at Aalto page. Through Aalto University’s open university track you can apply to become a degree student in the field of business or technology.
If you do not yet know where you want to apply later, take your time exploring the course offering of the open university. There are studies available in business, technology and arts, as well as a wide range of language courses from beginner level to advanced studies.
In addition, the open university staff provide study guidance by email, telephone, video call and on site at Aalto University’s Otaniemi campus.
The Open University is there for everyone. Its selection includes high-quality university courses for all kinds of learners, regardless of age, background or level of education.
Aalto Open University offers a diverse range of courses that are part of Aalto University degree programmes, representing all of Aalto’s fields of education: art, technology and business. In addition, the Open University’s course selection includes a wide range of language and communication studies.
Instructions for registering for courses will be published by summer 2026 at the latest.
The staff of Aalto University Open University will be happy to tell you more about the study opportunities at the Open University and provide guidance in choosing your studies.
You can receive study counselling on studying at the Open University by phone, via Teams or by separate appointment on the Otaniemi campus. Counselling is available for example regarding open university pathways, starting your studies or practical matters related to studying at the Open University.
The study voucher is valid for two years from when all results of the joint application process are confirmed and acceptance from the waiting list has also ended.
For 2026, the final results of the second spring joint application process will be confirmed and acceptance from the waiting list will end on 4 August 2026, and the study voucher can be activated on the following day. Thus, the first study vouchers will be valid until August 2028.
The earlier you start using your study voucher, the more you will be able to benefit from it during the two-year period. You can enrol in studies as long as your voucher is valid. You do not need to complete your studies within the validity period of the voucher. You can check the validity of your own study voucher in the Opin.fi service.
How to proceed – timeline for 2026
- The selections for the spring joint application to higher education have been made, and admissions from the waiting list end on 4 August 2026.
- Activation of the study voucher will be possible in the Opin.fi service starting 5 August 2026. In the Opin.fi service, you can check whether you are eligible for a study voucher. You do not need to apply for the study voucher separately, and activating it does not commit you to anything.
- Explore the Open University course offering and choose the content that interests you most. The study voucher is valid for two years and does not need to be used all at once.
- After activating the study voucher, register for courses according to the instructions. Instructions for registering with a study voucher for Aalto University Open University courses will be published on this page.
- Start studying and complete the courses you want. You do not need to complete your studies within the voucher’s validity period.
Learn about studying at the Open University
Studying at the Open University offers opportunities to, for example, get acquainted with university studies and different subjects, improve professional competencies and working life skills, gain a scientific background for current phenomena, and enter degree studies via the Open University pathway. Open University courses are offered both online and as on-campus teaching. The studies are part of Aalto University’s curriculum, so if you later complete a degree at Aalto, you can include the completed courses in your degree.
Quick guide to studying at the Open University
Read here how your studies at the Open University will proceed, from choosing your course to receiving your final grade.
Other lifewide learning offerings at Aalto University
In addition to Open University studies, Aalto University offers other learning content that does not require a study voucher. For example, courses offered through the FITech Network University are free of charge for all Finnish citizens and residents of Finland. Through FITech, you can take courses from Aalto and other Finnish universities of technology across various fields of engineering. Explore the options below!
Lifewide learning courses and programmes
Aalto University’s extensive lifewide learning portfolio ranges from individual courses to full degree programmes.
FITech Network University
FITech offers courses organised by Finnish universities of technology free of charge.