National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK and its member student unions are calling on all students as a united group to express their concerns about the cuts in student income decided by the government in the budget session. In response to this common concern, we will organise a silent demonstration on Tuesday 26 September from 12-14 on the campuses of universities of applied sciences across Finland.

The main purpose of the demonstration is to draw attention to the challenges that students are facing as a result of the cuts. The reduction in students’ income will affect many of the basics of everyday life, such as medication, exercise and healthy food, which many are already having to compromise on. The government’s budget decisions will cut student income by almost a fifth by 2027.

“We want to use this demonstration to highlight the great concern of students about the inadequacy of their livelihoods in the future. We want to show in concrete terms the things that students will no longer be able to do in the future because of the cuts,” says Joonas Soukkio, President of SAMOK.

SAMOK proposes that the government should take special account of the protection of the lowest earners in the cuts to housing support and cancel the index freezing of student grants to ensure students’ ability to focus on full-time study and their well-being.

Info on the demonstration:
Time: Tuesday 26 September, 12-14
Place: university of applied sciences campuses across Finland.
The exact time and place can be checked with the student union of each university of applied sciences.

We also warmly welcome media representatives to the demonstrations around Finland.

Further information and interviews available nationally:
Joonas Soukkio, President of SAMOK
tel. 050 389 1000
[email protected]