Scholarships (study right started on or before 1 August 2024)

Student Guide

Scholarships (study right started on or before 1 August 2024)

Aalto University has a scholarship programme available to tuition-fee students. There are also other scholarship possibilities to fund your studies.

Scholarship information on this page is for Aalto students who have started their studies on or before 1 August 2024.

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Please note that the information on this page is for students studying at Aalto University, whose study right has started on or before 1 August 2024.

Information on scholarships for Aalto students whose study right has started on or after 1 August 2025 here

Information on scholarships and tuition fees for applicants here

Scholarship types

The Aalto University Scholarship Programme seeks to recognize talented non-EU/non-EEA students across the world by awarding academic excellence. If you are liable to pay tuition fees at Aalto, you can apply for the scholarships.

Most scholarships at Aalto University are offered as tuition fee waivers, meaning that the scholarship covers the tuition fees fully or in part:

Aalto University also offers Incentive-Based Scholarships to reward fee-paying students who are making good progress in their studies. In addition, Aalto offered the Finland Scholarship for Master's students from 2022 to 2024.

International joint programmes that have their own tuition fees and scholarship systems follow their specific regulations – more about scholarships in international double degree programmes.

You may also look for funding outside Aalto University. For more information, check out the other scholarship possibilities.

Aalto University does not offer any university-wide scholarships to cover living costs in Finland. Students are expected to cover all their living expenses and other study-related costs from their own financial resources. More information about the living costs is available from the moving to Finland and financial matters page.

Scholarships and tax

The university is obliged by law to report all scholarships to Finnish tax authority on annual basis.

Scholarships in Finland are generally tax free up to the value of €26,269.46 per calendar year (in 2024; the exact amount changes annually). The amount exceeding the set limit is generally subject to tax. The set limit includes scholarships paid in Finland by a non-public entity including, but not limited to, any combination of Aalto University's scholarships (including tuition fee waivers), travel grants, one-off payments and living-expense scholarships you may get from the university for your studies.

If your combined scholarships and grants exceed the value of €26,269.46 for a calendar year (in 2024), the exceeding amount is generally subject to tax and you may be contacted by the Finnish tax authority.

For further information, please see the Finnish Tax Administration's pages on and .

Aalto University Scholarships

Aalto University Scholarships are offered as tuition fee waivers only. The scholarships are merit-based and are granted on competitive basis. The number of scholarships per degree programme is limited and depends on the overall number of selected non-EU/EEA students per degree programme.

Aalto University Scholarships are offered as tuition fee waivers. The scholarship covers either 100 % (Category A scholarship) or 50 % (Category B scholarship) of the tuition fee.

If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen liable to tuition fees and apply for admission at Aalto, you can apply for the scholarship with the same application form you use to apply for your preferred study option(s) by ticking the relevant section in the form. Please note that only students who are liable to pay tuition fees at Aalto University are eligible to apply for Aalto University Scholarships. It is not possible to apply for the scholarship after the application period has ended and there are no reserve lists for the allocation of scholarships.

The scholarships are allocated on the basis of the academic evaluation of the applicants when they are selected to the study programmes. The decisions are made by the selection committees of the relevant degree programme. You will receive the decision about the scholarship together with the decision about the admission. Please note that decisions regarding scholarships are final and may not be appealed (as defined in the Finnish Universities Act).

In order for the scholarship to be valid, the scholarship terms and conditions must be accepted by the student by signing and returning the 'Aalto University's Scholarship Terms' document to the university by the given deadline.

Scholarships are granted for the standard duration of the relevant degree programme. The standard duration is three years full-time study for bachelor’s degree and two years full-time study for master’s degree. Scholarship requires full-time study and steady progress in studies according to the approved personal study plan.

New students are requested to draft their first personal study plan when they accept their place for study. Relevant academic support may also be offered depending on the programme. The university requires students to have a study plan, which has been approved according to their degree programme's instructions.

The review of studies monitoring students’ progress is done by the end of March in the spring term and any issues, such as missing credits or possible discontinuation of scholarship, must be resolved by the end of April. This is to enable registration for the following term in the beginning of May, and for students needing to renew their residence permits to get their documentation in order as early as possible. You can also draft a revised study plan if needed and get it approved with the help of Study Office. However, you can only have one approved study plan at a time.

The progress of your studies is checked each term and your scholarship may be discontinued if your studies do not follow your personal study plan. If you have any issues affecting your study progress, it is essential that you contact the Student Services of your degree programme and actively seek help so that your scholarship is not affected. A failure to resolve any pending issues may result in the discontinuation of your scholarship on the basis of insufficient study progress.

As a guideline, scholarships are automatically continued for the standard duration of the degree programme unless:

studies do not follow personal study plan so that graduation is likely to be delayed by more than one term
studies progress so slowly that graduation is likely to be delayed by more than one term
studies progress below 45 ECTS credits per academic year leading to discontinuation of residence permit
the terms and conditions of scholarship agreement are broken
In such cases the school will contact the student and request a meeting where the scholarship is discussed and further course of action agreed.

Please note also, that the Finnish Immigration Authority (Migri) requires students to complete at least 45 ECTS credits per each academic year for the renewal of their residence permit. A failure to comply may result in the discontinuation of your residence permit and subsequent inability to complete your studies and continue your scholarship. Hence it is essential that you contact the Student Services as early as possible should you feel the need to revise your study plan for any reason.

The university is committed to helping students to achieve steady progress throughout their studies and offers many forms of assistance towards this aim.

Finland Scholarship for Master's students

Finland Scholarships awarded by Aalto University have been a part of the national Finland Scholarship programme funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Finland Scholarship programme runs from 2022 to 2024.

Finland Scholarships will not be granted in future admissions, as the scholarship programme ends in 2024. If you have been granted a Finland Scholarship in admissions in 2024 or before, see below more information about your scholarship.

The Finland Scholarship includes an Aalto University Scholarship (Category A, 100% tuition fee waiver) for two years and a grant worth 5000 € for relocation and other costs for the first year of studies.

The Aalto University Scholarship is identical to the Category A scholarship described in the Aalto University Scholarships section.

The 5000 € grant is paid to the student’s Finnish bank account after they have arrived in Finland and registered as attending. The grant is paid once and only during the first year of studies.

The tuition fee waiver (Aalto University Scholarship, Category A) is granted for the standard duration of the degree programme, i.e., two years full-time study for master’s degree. The scholarship requires full-time study and steady progress in studies according to the personal study plan. More information on the duration and the continuation of the tuition fee waiver in the Aalto University Scholarships section.

The 5000 € grant is paid once in a single installment, and only during the first year of studies. The grant will be paid to the student’s Finnish bank account after they have arrived in Finland and registered as attending. The students will be contacted via email during autumn term regarding the payment details.

The grant payment may be made later if the student has difficulties opening a bank account in Finland. However, students who are enrolled as attending and who fail to supply their payment information by the end of the first academic year will lose their Finland Scholarship grant. Students who are absent for reasons permissible by law during the first year, or who are prevented from beginning studies in Finland due to force majeure circumstances, may postpone their Finland Scholarship for a maximum of one year.

The grounds for discontinuing the Aalto University ‘Category A’ tuition fee waiver can be found in the Aalto University Scholarships section.

The Finland Scholarship grant is paid only once. If the student is granted a tuition fee exemption that is valid during their first attendance term, the 5000 € grant will not be paid. If the student is, based on universities act section 10, liable to pay tuition fees during their first term of studies, there is no effect on the Finland Scholarship grant.

Scholarships for Aalto bachelor's programme graduates continuing in Aalto master's programmes

Aalto offers all tuition-fee liable students in Aalto bachelor's programmes (taught in English) a chance to obtain a full scholarship for continuing in the Aalto Master's programme covered by their original 3+2 right to study.

Please note that the scholarship for continuing in the Aalto master's programmes does not cover any Aalto Master's programme that requires a separate application in the Aalto Master's Admissions from the student. If unsure, please contact the student services of your degree programme for further advice.

Tuition-fee liable students who complete their Aalto bachelor's degree in English in normative time (i.e. three years or six terms) with a final grade point average of 3.80 or above, will receive upon application a full, category A scholarship for their Aalto Master's programme.

The scholarship covers 100% of the tuition fees for the normative duration of the master's programme (i.e. two years or four terms). The normative duration in considered to start directly after graduating as bachelor, except when registering as non-attending due to reasons specified in the law.

The scholarship is applied for in Sisu when filling in the bachelor’s degree graduation request. The 'Aalto University's Scholarship Terms' document will be sent in connection with the scholarship decision. In order for the scholarship to be valid, the scholarship terms and conditions must be accepted by the student by signing and returning the 'Aalto University's Scholarship Terms' document to the university by the deadline indicated in the document.

If you haven't applied for the scholarship in Sisu when filling in the bachelor’s degree graduation request, please contact the student services of your degree programme.

The scholarship is granted for the normative duration of the master's programme (ie two years or four terms). The scholarship is to be used for the completion of degree studies only.

The scholarship will be continued for the second academic year provided that you have progressed in your studies according to your approved personal study plan (HOPS) during the first academic year and provided that you have a goal-oriented study plan for the second year.

The progress of your studies is checked each term and your scholarship may be discontinued if your studies do not follow your personal study plan. If you have any issues affecting your study progress, it is essential that you contact the student services of your degree programme and actively seek help so that your scholarship is not affected. A failure to resolve any pending issues may result in the discontinuation of your scholarship on the basis of insufficient study progress.

As a guideline, scholarships are automatically continued for the standard duration of the degree programme unless:

studies do not follow personal study plan so that graduation is likely to be delayed by more than one term
studies progress so slowly that graduation is likely to be delayed by more than one term
studies progress below 45 ECTS credits per academic year leading to discontinuation of residence permit
the terms and conditions of scholarship agreement are broken
In such cases the school will contact the student and request a meeting where the scholarship is discussed and further course of action agreed.

The university is committed to helping students to achieve steady progress throughout their studies and offers many forms of assistance towards this aim.

Aalto Incentive-Based Scholarships

In addition to the tuition fee waivers, Aalto has incentive-based scholarships that reward fee-paying students (i.e. students paying either full or partial fee) who are making good progress in their studies.

The scholarship is 1,500 EUR. Students in a triple-degree programme, who study at Aalto for only one term, may exceptionally apply for a half scholarship worth 750 EUR based on their one term studies.

Aalto Incentive-Based Scholarships reward fee-paying students making good progress in their studies. To be eligible for application, you need to be paying either 100% or 50% tuition fee for a bachelor’s or master’s programme. Students in receipt of 100% scholarships are not eligible to apply.

You need to have completed 60 credits (or above) of studies in accordance with your personal study plan during one academic year. If you study in a triple-degree programme, you need to have completed 30 credits (or above) of studies in accordance with your personal study plan during one academic term.

If you have started your studies outside the normal academic cycle (in January, for example) or have enrolled as non-attending for one term during your studies, you may be eligible to apply for the Incentive-Based Scholarship. In this case, the completed credits may be checked from the calendar year (spring + autumn term) instead of the academic year.

Please note that your personal study plan has to follow the curriculum and comply with the rules of your degree programme in Sisu (if it doesn’t, a ‘selections against the rules’ status is shown). You cannot include credits which exceed the degree requirements when applying for the scholarship. In addition, thesis credits are taken into account towards the credit requirement only after the whole thesis is registered, i.e. partial credits from thesis cannot be counted towards the required credits.

To qualify, you need to have 60 credits (or 30 credits for triple-degree programme students) completed by a certain time:

If you are applying for the scholarship at the end of academic year, the credits need to be completed by the end of August and you need to have the credits registered by the end of September. Studies completed over the summer period, as well as transferred credits, can be included as long as they are successfully completed by the end of August and fully registered by the end of September.
If you are applying for the scholarship at the end of calendar year, the credits need to be completed by the end of December and you need to have the credits registered by the end of February.

To apply, simply follow the information and instructions in the email sent to you towards the end of May/November and fill in the application form by the deadline. You can apply for the scholarship as soon as the required 60 credits (or 30 credits if you are a triple-degree programme student) are registered in your transcript.

If you are applying for the scholarship at the end of academic year, the deadline for applications is the end of October.
If you are applying for the scholarship at the end of calendar year, the deadline for applications is the end of March.

Incentive-Based Scholarship can be granted more than once. For students applying for the scholarship based on the completed 60 credits, possible credits on top of the 60 credits will be counted towards the following academic year.

The scholarship may be withdrawn if the student acts dishonestly when applying for the scholarship, e.g. by presenting false information or if the student acts dishonestly in studies or commits other violations prohibited in the Universities Act, section 45.

Payment schedule:

If you are applying for the scholarship at the end of academic year, the scholarship is paid towards the end of autumn term (or upon graduation, where applicable). The first round of scholarship decisions will be made by the end of September for applications returned in the summer months. Thereafter, the scholarship decisions are made once a month. You will receive the scholarship decision to your email.
If you are applying for the scholarship at the end of calendar year, the scholarship decisions are made once a month. You will receive the scholarship decision to your email.

Scholarship for one additional term following the standard period of study (5th or 7th term scholarship)

In order to successfully complete your studies and apply for graduation, you may be awarded a scholarship for one additional term beyond the standard duration of the degree programme (i.e. one term in addition to the three years of a Bachelor’s programme, and one term in addition to the two years of a Master’s programme).

You can apply for the scholarship on the condition that your studies have progressed in accordance with the approved study plan and that you have a realistic, approved plan to complete the remainder of the programme.

You can normally apply for the scholarship between April and May, but applications may be considered at other times if the circumstances demand it.

Please note that the additional term is likely to impact on your residence permit, student accommodation and financial arrangements, so it is highly recommendable that you start planning as early as possible and use the help of student services in the process.

The scholarship for one additional term is offered as a 100% tuition fee waiver.

The scholarship has a strict requirement that you submit your Bachelor's or Master's thesis (as applicable) by the agreed deadline, successfully complete the programme, and apply for graduation within the additional term.

Please note that the scholarship can be used only for completing the remaining compulsory studies in your programme. This means that you cannot apply for the additional term scholarship to e.g. complete studies outside your degree or go on exchange, unless an exchange period is a compulsory part of your studies.

If your programme includes a compulsory exchange period and you apply for the scholarship for one additional term to go on one, bear in mind that the scholarship terms require you to complete your studies and apply for graduation within the additional term. For example, course registrations after an exchange period might take some time, so it is good to take this into account when planning your studies.

Aalto Reserve Scholarships

Aalto Reserve Scholarships are aimed at students who become liable to pay tuition fees in the middle of their studies. The scholarship is offered as a 100 % tuition fee waiver.

You can apply for this scholarship if your residence permit status changes in the middle of your studies so that you are no longer exempted from tuition fees. You can also apply for a Reserve Scholarship if you are a non-EU/non-EEA student who continues their studies from a Finnish-medium bachelor's programme to an English-medium master's programme.

In order to be eligibile for the Reserve Scholarship, you need to prove that

you have been exempted from the payment of tuition fees on the basis of your previous residence permit, but you will be liable to tuition fees based on your new permit type, OR
you have completed your bachelor's programme in Finnish and will become liable to tuition fees when continuing your studies in an English-medium master's programme within the same study right.

Please note that you must have a residence permit which does not exempt from tuition fees in order to be granted the Reserve Scholarship. More information on exemptions from tuition fees.

The scholarship decision can be made conditionally if your residence permit application is still pending. The same applies if you are still completing studies for the on-going academic year and do not yet meet the criteria regarding the study progress. In this case, the study progress will be checked latest by the end of the academic year (31 July), by which all the required credits have to be registered in the student register.

If your decision is conditional, you cannot register as attending before all conditionalities have been met.

If your residence permit status changes so that you will become liable to pay tuition fees in the middle of your studies, you can apply for a Reserve Scholarship.

Students studying in English-medium bachelor's programmes

You will be granted the scholarship, if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

You would have been granted a scholarship (100 % tuition fee waiver) during the admission process, had you been liable to tuition fees at that time and eligibile to apply for a scholarship.
You have progressed in your studies according to an approved personal study plan for your bachelor's programme for a minimum of 55 credits per year and you have a grade point average of at least 3.80.

In addition, you must have a realistic, approved study plan to complete the remainder of the programme and graduate in normative time (three years for bachelor’s).

Students studying in master's programmes

You will be granted the scholarship, if you meet at least one of the following criteria:

If you have been admitted directly to the master's programme: you would have been granted a scholarship (100 % tuition fee waiver) during the admission process, had you been liable to tuition fees at that time and eligibile to apply for a scholarship.
If you have continued from a bachelor's programme within the same 3+2 study right at Aalto: you would have been granted a scholarship for your master's studies, had you been eligible to apply for the scholarship for Aalto bachelor's programme graduates continuing in Aalto master's programmes.
You have progressed in your studies according to an approved personal study plan for your master's programme for a minimum of 55 credits per year and you have a grade point average of at least 3.80.

In addition, you must have a realistic, approved study plan to complete the remainder of the programme and graduate in normative time (two years for master's).

Bachelor's programmes completed in Finnish have no tuition fees. However, if you continue your studies within the same 3+2 study right to a master's programme taught in English, you will become liable to pay tuition fees for your master's studies.

In this case, you can apply for a Reserve Scholarship for your master's studies. You will be granted the scholarship, if you meet the following criteria:

you have completed your bachelor's degree in normative time (i.e. three years), AND
you have a final grade point average of 3.80 or above from your bachelor's degree.

If you have started your studies before 1 August 2023, transition policies are applied in your case. Please contact tuitionfees@aalto.fi for more details.

You can apply for a Reserve Scholarship throughout the year, as there are no set application times. If you are eligible and meet the criteria, you are granted the scholarship. Please note that it is compulsory to apply for the scholarship in order to receive it.

If you want to apply for the Reserve Scholarship, please send a message to tuitionfees@aalto.fi to request the application form.

The scholarship application will be processed at your school, and you will receive the decision to your email. You can accept the offered scholarship by signing and returning the 'Aalto University's Scholarship Terms' document by the given deadline.

As defined in the Finnish Universities Act, the scholarship decision cannot be appealed to.

The Reserve Scholarship will be valid earliest starting from the term

after the validity of your exemption based on your previous residence permit ends, OR
when you become liable to pay tuition fees.

If your scholarship decision has been conditional, the scholarship validity will start only after all the criteria have been met. For the scholarship to be valid, you have to meet the conditionalities, i.e. by providing the student services a copy of your new residence permit or meeting the criteria regarding the study progress (credits and grade point average). Please note that you cannot register as attending before all conditionalities have been met.

The scholarship is granted as a 100 % tuition fee waiver for the remainder of the programme’s normative duration. If the scholarship is granted for more than one academic year, the review of study progress is the same as for Aalto University Scholarships.

Please note that if you apply for the Reserve Scholarship during your bachelor's studies, the scholarship will be only granted for the bachelor's degree. In this case, you can later apply for a scholarship for your master's studies when you graduate from your bachelor's programme.

Aalto University's scholarships in international double degree programmes

International joint programmes that have their own tuition fees and (externally funded) scholarship systems follow their specific regulations. In programmes where students are liable to pay the tuition fee directly ɫɫ�� University, students are eligible to apply for Aalto University's scholarships. However, this only applies to the terms the student is studying at Aalto and is liable to pay tuition fee directly ɫɫ�� University. Please read more from programmes' web pages.

The programme-specific tuition fee and scholarship policies are typically valid for the normative duration of the programme (two academic years). After this, the student may become liable for local tuition fees and eligible for related scholarships at Aalto University. The student should refer to the student or scholarship agreement they have signed with the programme.

Other scholarship possibilities

In addition to scholarships from Aalto University, there are other scholarship opportunities to finance your studies. You can check out different possibilities and find the suitable scholarship for you.

Please note that if the scholarship does not cover the whole duration of your studies, you can't apply for Aalto University's tuition fee waivers (Aalto University Scholarship / Aalto University Excellence Scholarship) in the middle of your studies.

You can find several external scholarships and loan schemes suitable for international students liable to pay tuition fees at Aalto University on the external scholarships page.

You can also look for different scholarship opportunities from e.g. the .

A prestigious scholarship for Aalto master’s degree students from the United States with the collaboration of Fulbright Finland Foundation. The award offers many outstanding benefits for the right candidate, including generous living allowance, comprehensive support services and excellent networking opportunities. Please note that the scholarship is available only to U.S. citizens.

You can find more information on the Fulbright Aalto University Graduate Award on the . If you have any further questions regarding the award at Aalto, please contact tuitionfees@aalto.fi.

The award has a dual application procedure where separate applications need to be submitted to the Fulbright grant competition and admission to the university. The application deadline for the award (from Fulbright) is typically in early October. When applying ɫɫ�� University, applicants should apply for a scholarship covering their full tuition fee in conjunction with their application for admission if they wish to be considered for the full award (the grant from Fulbright and the tuition fee waiver from Aalto).

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Updated: 23.5.2025
Published: 10.1.2023

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Student Guide