Universities want to help students find high-quality and suitable internships in many ways, e.g. by granting them internship subsidies.
When an employer hires a student who has been granted an internship subsidy, they will charge the university for the internship subsidy, the amount of which has been agreed in advance, when the internship period has ended. Hanken School of Economics is an exception. They pay the subsidy directly to the student.
To receive a subsidy for an internship in Finland, the minimum wage paid to the student must be no less than Kela’s work requirement minimum wage (EUR 1,399/month, in 2024). The amount of the internship subsidy varies between universities, but the usual amount is approximately EUR 1,300–1,800/3-month internship. Please note that the internship subsidy is not the same as the intern’s salary. The amount of the subsidy does not correlate with the amount of the salary.
Each university has its ownsubsidy granting process, but students usually hear whether they have been granted a subsidy at the start of the year. Internships can usually take place at any time of the year.
Please note that universities are unable to grant subsidies for all internships. Universities have their own restrictions and eligibility criteria for granting subsidies for internships. Always ask applicants or their university about university-specific internship subsidy practices.
Internship subsidy practices of Aarresaari universities
Here you can find basic information about the internship subsidy practices of universities that are part of the Aarresaari network. Always ask applicants or their university about university-specific internship subsidy practices.
An internship subsidy (internship voucher) is a student’s granted right to allocate their university’s financial support to their internship. The employer invoices the university for the subsidy afterwards. Hanken School of Economics is an exception. They pay the subsidy directly to the student.
| University Links and emails to additional information | Maximum amount of internship subsidy | Important information |
| Aalto University Aalto University School of Business Aalto University Schools of Engineering: (studentservices@aalto.fi) Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture: (hanna.karkku@aalto.fi) | EUR 1,800/3-month internship, EUR 1,200/2-month internship. | |
| Hanken School for Economics | Internship subsidy for bachelor’s degree students: EUR 2,000. For master’s degree students, depending on the nature of the internship: EUR 1,060–1,770. | The subsidy is paid directly to the student. Finnish students can only be granted subsidies for internships abroad. Non-Finnish degree students can receive subsidies for both Finnish and international internships. |
| University of Helsinki | EUR 1,800/student for at least 2–3-month internships (subject-specific). | |
| University of Eastern Finland (check the link) | Maximum amount: EUR 1,800/3-month internship. The number of supported months varies between faculties; 0–3 months, depending on the faculty’s financing situation and practices. | Faculties decide the number of supported internship months and the supported internships independently. Students can apply for a subsidy all year round. |
| University of Jyväskylä | The amount and scope of the subsidy are department-specific. | Each department makes their own decisions regarding granting subsidies. Not all departments grant subsidies for internships. |
| University of Lapland | Education and social sciences EUR 1,800/3-month internship, law EUR 1,500/3-month internship, arts EUR 2,150/3-month internship. | Faculty of Law: The Faculty Council decides which employers/internships will receive a subsidy. |
| University of Oulu | EUR 1,600/at least 2 months long internship for 5 credits. | First, a student finds an internship provider and makes a tentative agreement on the internship subsidy. Then, the student applies for an internship subsidy and the subsidy is reserved for them. Universities are able to grant a limited number of subsidies. |
| Tampere University | Max. EUR 1,800/internship. | |
| University of Turku | EUR 1,300/3-month internship; government as employer, EUR 1,800/3-month internship. | Students will be notified of their subsidy decision by the end of November. |
| University of Vaasa | EUR 1,800/3-month internship. | |
| Åbo Akademi | EUR 1,300/3-month internship or EUR 900/2-month internship. Government as employer: EUR 1,800/3-month internship or EUR 1,200/2-month internship. Minimum duration: 2 months. |