In spring 2026, SYL and SAMOK carried out a survey amongst higher education students on the state of student healthcare and the need for its development. The results were analysed by the Foundation for Studies and Education Otus.

A total of 1,702 higher education students responded to the survey, with their numbers divided equally between the higher education sectors, each accounting for 50 per cent.

The results of the survey show that students use the services provided by the Finnish Student Health Service and have a largely positive attitude towards them. The main findings of the survey revealed concerns about receiving care after graduation, wishes that there was a wider range of services provided by the FSHS, and positive initial experiences of the new service platform YTHSDigi.

Key findings from the survey results:

• Concerns about care after graduation: Half of respondents said they were fairly concerned or very concerned about whether they will receive the care they need from the public health care system after graduation.
• Expanding the range of services: 53.6% would like the FSHS to provide specialised medical care, such gynaecology, dermatology and specialised internal medicine. Free contraception was the second most common wish (39.3%).
• Initial experiences with YTHSDigi have been largely positive.
• Increased trust in access to services: Doubts about being able to access services as a reason not to use services had decreased from 33.2% to 19.2% since 2023.

“Graduation should open up new opportunities, not stir up fear or concern about being cut off from the treatment path or falling through the cracks of the system.” It is a serious concern if half of the students say they are worried about receiving the care they need when they transfer from the FSHS to services provided by wellbeing services counties. Effective practices are needed between the FSHS and the wellbeing services counties to ensure the continuity of treatment paths. "The end of studies must not mean the end of care," emphasises Aada Aho, a member of SYL Board.

“The majority of students are prepared to pay a moderately increased fee in exchange for a better service level. Reintroducing gynaecology and a dermatology to FSHS services would match the wishes highlighted in the survey and strengthen the continuity of care. In our view, a sufficiently resourced expansion could also alleviate the burden on wellbeing services counties and reduce the number of students switching from one service provider to another.” says Laura Laakso of the SAMOK Board.

You can find out more about the survey’s findings in the result report compiled from the survey.

Further information:

Jere Tapio
Senior Advisor in Well-being Policy, SAMOK
[email protected]
040 760 9463

Jesse Häyhä
Social Policy Adviser, SYL
[email protected]
044 796 1200