- #1
Joel
- 100
- 1
Inspired by the talk about tuition fees in the "european degree terminology"-thread, perhaps the financial side of academic education could use an own thread? So, despite our daily proportion of intellectual food, I suppose phycists must eat: what does it cost to get an academic education in your country/university? What expenses are there; tuition fees, college fees, apartment rentals, etc. the whole deal?
And perhaps more importantly, what student benefits, health care, grant possibilities, etc. is available for students at different levels? Not to mention the whole research financing system; does universities pay for it, a science foundation, or a ministry? What about companies? How does it work?
I can start from my turf: Finns tend to brag about free education (which ought to have been proven by now ), in other words, degree students (bachelor/master) only pay a (compulsory) membership fee of around 60e per year to the student union. In exchange for that you get dinner for 2,35e, free health care (with long ques), discounts in public transports, movies, museums, etc, all this substituted by the government. All universities are financed by the state, so the costs and benefits are the same everywhere. However, tuition fees have been proposed to foreign students, so the haven is probably not eternal.
Most student unions also own apartments around the campus area, which are for rental for a reasonable price. 170e/month for "cell-apartments" (shared kitchen and bathroom with a couple of others and an own room) and up to 500e for family apartments (40m^2 - 60m^2 and a family required).
Being an undergraduate I am not that familiar with the research founding, but this site ought to be enlightening: http://www.aka.fi/modules/page/show_page.asp?id=582F97D274F54AB6A84ACF584C056B06 The academy of finland administers most of the government's research founding and distributes it through various programs. Most of the graduate schools (to which you apply with a master or MD to get your phd) get their founding from the academy and upon admission to them you also get founding (around 1000e - 1500e/month for 3-4 years). Of course, companies tend to pay much better and nothing prevents you from having a suitable sexy mentor in the industry, instead of that dusty professor. (No offence intended, but I am a dust-allergic ). Speaking of which, our babyboomer-professors are about to retire and there are wild predictions about the number of soon-to-be open academic posts - that, however, probably will go to hotshot foreigners in stead of me.
And perhaps more importantly, what student benefits, health care, grant possibilities, etc. is available for students at different levels? Not to mention the whole research financing system; does universities pay for it, a science foundation, or a ministry? What about companies? How does it work?
I can start from my turf: Finns tend to brag about free education (which ought to have been proven by now ), in other words, degree students (bachelor/master) only pay a (compulsory) membership fee of around 60e per year to the student union. In exchange for that you get dinner for 2,35e, free health care (with long ques), discounts in public transports, movies, museums, etc, all this substituted by the government. All universities are financed by the state, so the costs and benefits are the same everywhere. However, tuition fees have been proposed to foreign students, so the haven is probably not eternal.
Most student unions also own apartments around the campus area, which are for rental for a reasonable price. 170e/month for "cell-apartments" (shared kitchen and bathroom with a couple of others and an own room) and up to 500e for family apartments (40m^2 - 60m^2 and a family required).
Being an undergraduate I am not that familiar with the research founding, but this site ought to be enlightening: http://www.aka.fi/modules/page/show_page.asp?id=582F97D274F54AB6A84ACF584C056B06 The academy of finland administers most of the government's research founding and distributes it through various programs. Most of the graduate schools (to which you apply with a master or MD to get your phd) get their founding from the academy and upon admission to them you also get founding (around 1000e - 1500e/month for 3-4 years). Of course, companies tend to pay much better and nothing prevents you from having a suitable sexy mentor in the industry, instead of that dusty professor. (No offence intended, but I am a dust-allergic ). Speaking of which, our babyboomer-professors are about to retire and there are wild predictions about the number of soon-to-be open academic posts - that, however, probably will go to hotshot foreigners in stead of me.
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