As a degree student, you must register every Spring during the registration period for the following academic year’s Autumn and Spring terms as either present or absent. You can change your previous registration for an academic year before it begins.
Students in degree-oriented education export programmes, Open university of Applied Sciences students (i.e. pathway students, route students, and students completing individual courses) do not need to register for the academic year, as attendance for the academic year is added automatically upon enrolment.
Enrolment can be done in Pakki.
First click on “Studies” and from the dropdown menu there select “Academic Year Registration”.
The system will direct you to the OILI system, through which the registration is completed. You can access the registration by selecting present or absent registration for a continuing student.
For questions related to registration, you can get help from Study Services.
If you wish to complete studies, receive study-related financial benefits, go on an exchange or graduate, you must be enrolled as present during that term. Each term of presence consumes your right to study, so if you know that you will be unable to study during a certain term, enrol as absent whenever possible.
If you have been granted discretionary extra time, your academic year registration will be recorded by Study Services. Read more about discretionary extra time on the Right to Study Applications page.
Voluntary absence
- From the beginning of your second term of study, you can enrol as absent without a specific reason for two terms, i.e. one academic year.
- The terms do not need to be consecutive, and voluntary absence enrolment can be done independently during the registration period through Pakki. Voluntary absence terms do not consume your right to study. Please note that assessments cannot be recorded for an absent student during their absence term.
- If you are studying on discretionary extra time, you cannot enrol as absent.
- Students in degree-oriented education export programmes cannot enrol as absent.
- Please take note of the effect of voluntary absence on student loan compensation. Read more on the Kela website.
Registering as absent with a legal ground
If you are completing service under the Military Service Act (1438/2007), the Civilian Service Act (1446/2007), or the Act on Women’s Voluntary Military Service (194/1995), or if you are on maternity, paternity, or parental leave, or if you have an illness or disability that prevents you from studying, you may enrol as absent for that term due to a statutory reason.
Absence resulting from service under the Military Service Act, the Civilian Service Act, or the Act on Women’s Voluntary Military Service, or from maternity, paternity, or parental leave, is not counted towards the time allowed for completing studies.
Absence due to illness or disability is first recorded as voluntary absence. A student may be voluntarily absent for two terms, after which absence consumes the right to study period. However, absence due to illness or disability is taken into account if the student applies for discretionary extra time for their studies.
Please note that a new student may only enrol as absent during their first term on statutory grounds.
You can enrol as absent using the form. Attach to the form a document proving the statutory nature of the absence.
The documents with which you can prove the legal grounds for your absence are:
- Call-up order or service certificate
- Kela certificate of maternity, paternity, or parental allowance period, or a medical certificate of pregnancy.
- Sickness allowance decision or a medical certificate indicating the illness or disability in question and stating that the illness or disability prevents the completion of studies.
Submit the certificate entitling you to statutory absence by filling in the form. Study Services will record your absence information.
If you are unable to study due to illness, you can take sick leave. During this time, you may be entitled to sickness allowance. As a higher education student, consider whether it is worth using up your study support months if your studies are not progressing.
If you are receiving student financial aid and accumulate too few study credits, you may be required to provide Kela with an account of the progress of your studies. For this account, you will need a medical certificate of your illness. A medical certificate or equivalent document may also be necessary in a situation where your student financial aid period ends and you need to apply for an extension of your student financial aid.
If you are receiving sickness allowance, you may study to some extent during the sickness allowance period. The permitted amount of studying is approximately 40% of normal full-time studying, which in a higher education institution means either 24 credits per academic year, 12 credits per term, or 3 credits per month.
Further information on how to proceed in the event of illness can be found on the Kela website.
If you have not enrolled for the academic year during the registration period, you will lose your right to study and will be recorded as having withdrawn due to neglect of the registration obligation. If you wish to start or continue your studies at a later date, you will need to reapply for the right to study.
Further information on applying can be found on the study right applications page.