Study voucher to cover Metropolia Open UAS studies: starter studies for those without a study place
The study voucher, to be introduced in August 2026, will offer young people without a study place the opportunity to complete open higher education studies free of charge. Metropolia University of Applied Sciences will offer both ready-made study packages and individual courses in various fields that can be paid with the voucher.
The new study voucher by the Ministry of Education and Culture is aimed at young people who have applied to higher education but have not received a study place. Its purpose is to provide an opportunity to try higher education studies, explore different fields and build competences before the next joint application.
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences has prepared ready-made study packages that can be paid with the study voucher. These larger packages, such as 15 ECTS “starter studies”, help students gain confidence in their choice of field and get a head start for future higher education studies.
In addition to the packages, the voucher can be used to pay for individual Metropolia courses in various fields. With the voucher, you can choose studies at Metropolia in Social and Health Care, Culture, Technology and Business.
Metropolia’s Vice President of Education, Heidi Rontu, says that voucher-based studies can prepare young people for higher education, lower the threshold to start studying and support the choice of a future study place.
“Thanks to Metropolia’s wide range of starter studies, it is easy to try a new field and get a realistic first impression of the studies. Almost all starter studies are offered online, which means that you can complete Metropolia’s studies with the voucher from anywhere in Finland,” Rontu says.
The study voucher supports young people’s transition to higher education
The study voucher is a fixed-term pilot by the Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM). Its aim is to ease the transition from upper secondary education to higher education and offer alternatives in situations where a study place is not yet available. The voucher serves as a means of payment for open higher education studies, and with it you can complete up to 30 ECTS credits within two years. The voucher will become available to young people in Finland on 5 August 2026, once the results of the spring joint application have been published.
The voucher will be available to young people who complete their first upper secondary qualification in Finland between 1 December 2025 and 31 July 2028, are under 29 years of age on the day they graduate, and have applied in the higher education joint application but have not received or accepted a study place.
The study offering will be compiled in the national Opin.fi service, which brings together open studies offered by Finnish higher education institutions and also serves as the channel for using the voucher. Once the voucher has been activated in the Opin.fi service, you can register for studies in Metropolia Open UAS online store and use the voucher as a means of payment. The study voucher can be used to pay for open higher education studies in which teaching is provided entirely or at least partly in Finnish or Swedish.
Metropolia will publish its starter studies selection during the summer. Metropolia will also organise a free, open webinar on the study voucher on Tuesday 4 August 2026 at 15:00–16:00. The webinar is in Finnish.
In addition, Metropolia offers free guidance for anyone who needs support in choosing suitable studies. Those who are unsure what to study can discuss study options with our career counsellor. Discussion times are booked via the online booking calendar.
Further information
Heidi Rontu
Vice President of Education, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
Heidi.Rontu [at] metropolia.fi (Heidi[dot]Rontu[at]metropolia[dot]fi)