Registration as a student and right to study (students liable to tuition fees)
Right to study
Degree students have the right to pursue studies leading to a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree conducted by the degree regulations and curriculum of SEAMK. The scope of studies is based on ECTS credits. The average amount of work required during an academic year to complete the studies, 1,600 hours, is equivalent to 60 ECTS credits.
Normative duration of studies refers to the time in years equivalent to the scope of the studies i.e., 210 ECTS credits is equivalent to 3.5 years and 240 ECTS credits to 4 years. The scope of studies in degree programs leading to a Master’s degree at a university of applied sciences is 60 or 90 ECTS credits. The maximum duration of studies for a degree is one year more than the normative duration.
Registration as a student
Students must register in the university of applied sciences at the beginning of every semester as attending or non-attending students. Students must register for the entire academic year. Right to absence is further defined, see below.
Continuing students who are liable to tuition fees shall register for the academic year at a time between 1 March – 31 May.
- The tuition fees must be paid or exempting document must be delivered before registration. Further information on registration for SEAMK continuing students is available in SEAMK intranet.
Attending students have a right to pursue studies, to apply for financial aid to students and to purchase meals at a subsidised price and to student association membership benefits (e.g. travel discounts).
Non-attending students may not participate in teaching or graduate, and no study attainments can be accepted from them. Students registering as non-attending must cancel their financial aid and other study-related benefits. Students returning to studies after a period of absence must observe any changes made to the curriculum during their absence. Before continuing studies, they should go through their personal study plan with a study counsellor.
If students do not register before the deadline, they will lose their right to study. Losing right to study may effect negatively on residence permit, if the permit is based on degree studies. In order to regain their right to study, students must apply for re-registration of their study right. The application processing fee is 50 euros (A1440/2014, 3 §).
Changing registration information
Students liable to tuition fees may change their registration information by 10 September / 10 January. The request for a change the registration information must be made by contacting tuitionfees@seamk.fi.
The student not liable to tuition fees can change their registration information by contacting studentservices@seamk.fi. Changes to registration data during the autumn term must be applied for by 10 September and the spring term by 10 January.
If the student wants to change their registration information from attending to non-attending, the tuition fee may be refunded according to the tuition fee refund policy of the year that the student has been admitted to SEAMK.
Right to absence
Continuing students have the right to register as non-attending without a specific reason for one academic year (i.e. two semesters) after the first year of studying. This period is excluded from the duration of studies. In addition, absences due to military service, non-military service, women’s voluntary military service or or if the student needs time off his/her studies to take care of a child in regard to the child’s birth or adoption are possible at any stage of studies and will be excluded from the duration of studies (periods of attendance) and from periods of non-attendance.
First-year students may only register as non-attending students due to statutory grounds, i.e. completing military service, non-military service or women’s voluntary military service, or when the student needs time off his/her studies to take care of a child in regard to the child’s birth or adoption (14.1.2022/52), or if they are unable to begin studies owing to a medical condition or disability (Section 29 of Amendment 325/2015). If student registers as non-attending student in the first semester due to a medical condition or disability, this will be included in the right to absence for one academic year (i.e. two semesters).
Students must always provide proof of absence when they register as non-attending due to statutory grounds. A personal notification is not considered adequate proof.
Documents for providing proof are:
1) When in active service in accordance with the Conscription Act, the Non-Military Service Act or the Women’s Voluntary Military Service Act
- order to report for service or a copy of a valid military passport
2) When the student needs time off his/her studies to take care of a child in regard to the child’s birth or adoption
- Kela’s certificate regarding maternity, paternity or parental allowance period or, if the certificate has not yet been received, a medical certificate regarding the pregnancy.
3) When unable to begin studies owing to a medical condition or disability (only applicable to first-year students)
- sickness allowance decision, or if such decision has not been issued, a medical certificate. The medical certificate must indicate that the medical condition or disability prevents the person from beginning their studies.
Documents regarding the cause of absence must be delivered by email to tuitionfees(at)seamk.fi (use word SALATTU in the title of the email to secure to email).
Loss of Study Right and Re-registration
The student may lose the right to study for the following reasons:
- the student fails to register as an attending or non-attending student by the deadline (Section 29 of Amendment 932/2014)
- the student fails to complete the studies within the normative duration (Section 30 of Amendment 932/2014) or within the potential discretionary extension (Section 30a of Amendment 932/2014)
In such cases, no separate decision will be made regarding the losing of the study right. The student will be marked as having left the UAS in the student management system. Instructions on how to apply for the re-registration of the right to study can be found below.
A student who is liable for tuition fees will lose their study right if they fail to register for the next academic year according to SEAMK’s instructions. This means that the student has not paid the tuition fee or has not submitted a valid exempting document by the given deadline.
Failure to register for the academic year leads to the loss of the study right.
If you consider applying for Re-registration of your study right, please contact Tuitionfees(at)seamk.fi first for further information.
What does losing the study right mean?
If a student loses their study right:
- The student is no longer entitled to complete studies, receive student financial aid or meal subsidies, or use student discounts
- The study right of spring semester ends on July 31 / Study right of autumn semester ends on December 31, and the user account will be locked 7 days later
- As a consequence, the student will no longer have access to SEAMK email, intranet, or other online services
- Losing the study right may have effects on students’ residence permit
Application periods for Re-registration of the Study Right
A student who has lost their study right due to failure to register may apply for re-registration of the study right:
- for the autumn semester / the whole academic year during the application period from June 1 to September 10, provided that the student still has remaining study right time
- for the spring semester during the application period from October 1 to November 30, provided that the student still has remaining study right time
Effects on attendance and non-attendance semesters
Failure to register for an academic year consumes the student’s remaining attendance and non-attendance semesters.
- Full semesters between the end date of the study right and the date when the study right is re-registered are counted as non-attendance semesters, if any are still available.
- Once all allowed non-attendance semesters have been used, the elapsed semesters will consume the student’s remaining attendance semesters.
At SEAMK, the study right is re-registered from either August 1 or January 1, depending on the application period during which the re-registration has been applied for and approved.
The semester during which the study right is re-registered is counted in full as used study time.
Re-assessment of tuition fee liability (previously exempted students)
Please note that if the study right is interrupted for one full semester or more, the student’s tuition fee liability will be reassessed. This also applies to students who have previously been exempted from paying tuition fees.
After an interruption, the exemption from tuition fees is not automatically retained.
When applying for re-registration, the student must again meet the exemption criteria and submit a valid exemption document. SEAMK will then check the student’s residence permit history with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
If the exemption criteria are no longer met, the student may become liable to pay tuition fees after the re-registration of the study right.
How to Apply for Re-registration of the Study Right
Re-registration of the study right is applied for using an e-form.
The application must include one of the following attachments:
- a receipt of the paid tuition fee, or
- a valid document exempting the student from paying the tuition fee
The application processing fee is 50 euros (A1440/2014, 3 §). When you submit form, you will be forwarded to the online payment
service. You cannot submit the application without paying.
Application is active only during the application period.
Re-registration of the study right is applied for using an e-form.
The application must include one of the following attachments:
- a receipt of the paid tuition fee, or
- a valid document exempting the student from paying the tuition fee
The application processing fee is 50 euros (A1440/2014, 3 §). When you submit form, you will be forwarded to the online payment
service. You cannot submit the application without paying.
Application is active only during the application period.
What does Re-granted Study Right After the End of the Study Right Period or a Discretionary Extension mean?
(Students who started their studies on or after August 1, 2015)
If you started your studies at a Finnish University of Applied Sciences on or after August 1, 2015, and you were not able to complete your degree within your original study right period or during a granted discretionary extension, you may apply for a re-granted study right.
This means that you can apply to become a student again without participating in the student admission process, as provided by law (L325/2015, section 32)
This option is available to former students, in cases where you no longer have access to SEAMK Intra or other internal systems.
If you consider applying for Re-granted study right, please contact Tuitionfees(at)seamk.fi first for further information.
Application periods for Re-granted Study Right
You can apply for a re-granted study right during the following application periods:
- For the autumn semester: June 1 – September 10
- For the spring semester: November 1 – January 10
Applications submitted outside these periods cannot be processed.
Additional requirements for applying for a re-granted study right
When applying for a re-granted study right, your application must include:
- An explanation of why your studies has been delayed, and
- A scheduled study plan for completing the remaining studies, prepared together with a study counsellor
The study plan should clearly show how and when you intend to complete all missing courses and graduate.
Please note that students who are granted a re-granted study right do not have the right to register as non-attending. You must study according to the approved plan.
Re-assessment of tuition fee liability (previously exempted students)
Please note that if the study right is interrupted for one full semester or more, the student’s tuition fee liability will be reassessed.
This also applies to students who have previously been exempted from paying tuition fees.
After an interruption, the exemption from tuition fees is not automatically retained.
When applying for re-registration, the student must again meet the exemption criteria and submit a valid exemption document. SEAMK will then check the student’s residence permit history with the Finnish Immigration Service (Migri).
If the exemption criteria are no longer met, the student may become liable to pay tuition fees after the re-registration of the study right.
Re-granted study right is applied for using an e-form. The study plan that needs to be attached to the application should clearly show how and when you intend to complete all missing courses and graduate.
The application must also include one of the following attachments:
- a receipt of the paid tuition fee, or
- a valid document exempting the student from paying the tuition fee. Please note that if the study right is interrupted for one full semester or more, the student’s tuition fee liability will be reassessed.
The application processing fee is 50 euros (A1440/2014, 3 §). When you submit form, you will be forwarded to the online payment service. You cannot submit the application without paying.
Application form is active only during the application period.
Withdrawing from studies
The student will lose the right to study if student decides to leave the UAS and give up the study place. Students who are thinking of leaving should first contact their study counsellor.
Students will be marked as having left the UAS as of the date on their notice, but at the earliest on the day the notice to leave was received at the university of applied sciences. Students leaving the UAS must cancel all study-related benefits and hand back any property of the UAS (such as parking passes, electrical access cards, keys, etc.).
If you want to withdraw from Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, please use the form below.
If you have any questions feel free to contact
SEAMK Tuition Fees Services
tuitionfees(at)seamk.fi