Refund application for degree students
With this form you can apply for a refund of a paid tuition fee if you are a degree student and you meet the refund policy requirements described below.
Your tuition fee can only be refunded in the specific circumstances outlined in the refund policy. To be eligible for a refund, you must submit your refund application according to the instructions and by the deadline specified in the refund policy. Please note that a refund application can only be accepted if you have uploaded the mandatory documentation to support your application. A processing fee of 500€ will be deducted from any refunds handled on or after 1 January 2026.
Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) refunds the paid tuition fee to the payer only in the following cases:
1. if you have received a negative decision from the Finnish Immigration Services (Migri) on your application for residence permit for studies in Finland for the academic year in question. In such case, you must request a refund by submitting this refund application. You are required to attach a copy of the negative decision to the refund application. Once SAMK has verified the authenticity of the decision from Migri, a refund may be granted. Please note that:
- You must submit your refund application within 30 days of receiving the decision, at the latest by 31 December if your studies have commenced in August and at the latest by 31 July if your studies have commenced in January. If you applied for a residence permit immediately after being offered a study place in a degree programme at SAMK but have not received a decision by the deadline, an extension of one additional semester may be granted. Any extension must be requested before the original deadline has passed. An extension cannot be granted if the residence permit application was not initiated in time. Please note that booking an appointment at an embassy or a VFS center does not count as initiating a residence permit application and will not be considered when granting an extension.
- Enrolling as absent during your 1st year does not extend or change the deadline for requesting a refund of the paid tuition fee. For example, if you have been accepted to start your studies in August, the refund deadline remains 31 December (unless conditions for extension are met, see point above), even if you enroll as absent and begin your studies with the next starting group.
2. if you have been conditionally admitted but you do not meet the conditions (including any given deadline for submission of documents) and your study place is cancelled.
3. if SAMK cancels a degree programme and is therefore unable to offer the studies you have been admitted to.
4. if your residence permit status changes before the start of the next semester (before 31 August / 1 January) and you are no longer liable to pay tuition fees, you must present your new Finnish residence permit card to the Admissions Office of SAMK in order to be exempted from the tuition fee. Only a physical residence permit card is accepted as proof.
- Please note that eligibility for an exemption can only be assessed once your residence permit history has been verified by Migri. If you have already paid the tuition fee for the next semester, you may submit a refund application once you have received your residence permit card. Changes to the fee status made in the middle of term do not result in the reimbursement of the tuition fee for that term. The revised status will be effective, as a rule, from the beginning of the following term. You should submit your refund application within 30 days of receiving the RP decision.
Please note that in all scenarios described above, you are required to submit this refund application. These policies are non-negotiable. If you are unsure of your situation, please contact the Admissions Office in advance (admissions@samk.fi). If a refund is granted to you, the refund is always made to the original payer. A refund can only be granted in the above-mentioned scenarios, exceptions are not possible.
For example, you are not eligible for a refund in the following cases:
- if you have been granted a residence permit in Finland based on your studies at SAMK, but then you decide that you do not want to start your studies after all.
- if you withdraw your residence permit application.
- if you decide to transfer to another school.
- if you do not participate in the education.
- if you fail the courses you have participated in.
- if you quit your studies in SAMK for other, personal reasons.
- if your residence permit is cancelled by the Finnish Immigration Services during your studies due to you no longer meeting the requirements of your residence permit.
- if you have not applied for the residence permit immediately after being offered a study place and therefore cannot provide a copy of a negative residence permit decision by the deadlines mentioned in point 1.
- if you have not received your residence permit decision by the time the studies begin and you are therefore not able to start your studies on campus by the deadline specified in your acceptance letter.
- NB! As the residence permit process may take several months, students are advised to initiate their residence permit application on the Enter Finland online service immediately after receiving the study place offer. Please follow the instructions provided on the Enter Finland website to ensure that you are able to start your studies on campus when the semester begins.