The Finnish government plans to cut higher education funding while simultaneously aiming to raise the national level of education. The contradiction is clear: you can’t increase educational attainment by cutting the very system that supports it. Now is the time to stand up for quality, accessibility, and the future of education.
The Finnish government plans to cut basic funding for universities and universities of applied sciences by €30 million in 2026, €20 million in 2027, and €15 million annually from 2028 onward. At the same time, a one-time €100 million investment in increasing study places is proposed.
This is like putting a bandage on a broken leg – it’s not enough.
Short-Term Fixes Don’t Solve Long-Term Problems
Education funding cannot rely on temporary campaigns. Fluctuating funding forces higher education institutions to spend time and energy seeking alternative sources of income when those resources should go toward their core mission: providing high-quality teaching, research, and student support services.
“These cuts further weaken the already concerning state of higher education quality. We need more highly educated people, but the cuts do not support that need or desire. On top of that, they create inequality by discouraging young people and adults from less affluent backgrounds from applying. It simply cannot be that only the well-off get to study. Higher education belongs to everyone, and it absolutely should not be cut,” emphasizes Kia Vasarainen, Chair of the Representative Council of the Student Union of the Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMKO).
From Education Leader to Lagging Behind
In just a couple of decades, Finland has dropped from the top of OECD’s education statistics to below the average. Both past and current deliberate cuts made by the government are robbing current and future students, staff, and employers of knowledge and success.
Juno Olkkola, Chair of HAMKO’s Board, reminds: “The long-term effects of these cuts on individuals and society are unsustainable. A policy that cuts higher education into a path only the few can afford to walk contradicts the very goal we’ve supposedly committed to on paper: raising the overall level of education.”
“Modern working life requires the ability to absorb and learn new knowledge, and in recent years, it has been common for employees to pursue a second degree or deepen their expertise through shorter studies. But in the future, for many, that second degree—or even the first—will remain just a dream.” Olkkola states.
Ambitious Goals, Misaligned Actions
The government has set a goal of raising the proportion of higher-educated young adults to 50% by 2030. While the goal is commendable, the means are in direct conflict with it. You cannot raise the education level by cutting education. In this case, opposites do not attract—they cancel each other out.
Anyone who remembers Finland’s past success in higher education development should be seriously concerned by now.