Higher education admissions in

Finland: recent developments

Ilmari Hyvönen 24.9.2014

Topics

• National and other admission services for higher education• Recent developments: HE admission reform and a the new

national admission service

Topics

• National and other admission services for higher education• Recent developments: HE admission reform and a the new

national admission service

National services

• opintopolku.fi studieinfo.fi studyinfo.fi (in 3 languages)– until recently different services for different sectors for higher

education and different target groups (4 different services)– now combined into one– Maintained by the National Board for Education– Database & portal of learning opportunities– Universities and polytechnics joint admission handled in the system

by law (2014 -); previously 4 joint admissions – Separate admissions as the HEIs see fit

• By law, HEIs can leave foreign language programs out of the joint admission procedure

• These can be handled in the HEIs own systems (or consortia systems) as the HEIs see fit

• studyinfinland.fi– Country information for prospective foreign students– A view of the learning opportunities

Others

• universityadmissions.fi– consortium– funded by member universities– services supporting the checking of credentials– applications for English language master programs in its member

universities

• HEIs’ own systems & services

Topics

• National and other admission services for higher education• Recent developments: HE admission reform and a the new

national admission service

opintopolku.fi - studieinfo.fi - studyinfo.fi

• The same system for secondary, higher and adult education!

• Data storage for learning opportunities

• Portal for learning opportunities

• Application management

• Student admission system

• Future plans: registry for all achievements (degrees etc.)

System will also be used in

marketing other than degree

programmes and for admitting

students to those

Joint application and

admission to universities

and polytechnics1

23

45

6

2

6

34

5

1not admitted to 1st choice

One program will be offered

Applications to lover priorities

will be withdrawn

automatically

One joint application to all HEI’s in Finland twice a year from fall 2014

(excluding mainly universities’ foreign language masters’ programs)

Reserving places for those who have neither a degree or a study right in

Finnish HEIs

• 1/3 of places go to applicants who already have a degree or a study place from a Finnish HEI. In some fields 2/3.

• Entrants are relatively old: a bottle-neck before entering HEMain political goals for the change: more first-

timers in, younger in, younger out longer working careers with degree

• From fall 2014 HEIs have a right to reserve a part of the study places for those who don’t yet have a place – However, according to the law not an immoderate amount of the

places. The amount that has an effect on the results but is not immoderate is something the HEIs will have to consider. Now other guidelines for defining quotas

Second phase of HE admission reform 2014-16

• The second phase is implemented so that (draft proposal)– HEIs are obliged to reserve places for first timers.– A change of program/university –application defined in

the law. The applicant will give up the previous study right if chosen.

– Applicant fees introduced for those who have completed their admissibility granting degree in a foreign country (i.e. not Finland). Fee not based on nationality, but the country of the previous degree. Fee charged by National Board for Education to be handled in the central system (studieinfo.fi).

– Some other minor developments– In effect in spring 2016.

• The government plans to give a proposal to the parliament this fall

Thanks!

• ilmari.hyvonen@minedu.fi