BLOG: Low hanging apple has been picked - the study support's income limit raise

Raising the study supports income limits has been for many years a goal for student- and youth-organizations. Current model has punished students with low income who just want to gain experience from the industry from which they are studying. As students, we all know well that walking into a workplace with a degree, doesn't mean you're hired. Most of the time getting hired requires work experience, which has been made difficult to obtain because of the low income limits. 

Last year the government decided to raise income limits for limited time which was, of course, a great step to the right way. Student- and youth-organizations were for a reason only partly satisfied. One year is only a temporary bad substitute when what is needed is a permanent change. Government finally picked up this low hanging apple which increases employment, adds more available money and on top of that, the public finances will be mildly positive or budget neutral according to the Wage Research Institute.

For Finnish future the most important thing is that from Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences graduate experts are ready for working life. Now settled permanent 50% increase to income limits of students is a very welcome and right-handed raise because before that income limits have been raised only three times: 1998, 2008 and 2020. Many people can argue whether the increase is too high but now it corresponds to the situation where income limits have followed the development of the level of earnings. Now we as students get to work as much as students in the 1990’s.

This blog is written by Paavo Koho, medical student from Oulu.

Email: Koho.paavo@gmail.com

Instagram: paavokkoho