Some people who applied to study for master's degrees in information systems at the University of Jyväskylä were told on Friday that they had been accepted into the programme – only to be told a few hours later that this was a mistake. According to the tabloid Ilta-Sanomat, about 140 applicants received erroneous notifications.
The university says the false notifications were the result of human error, and that those who received them have been informed.
Some of those who received the notifications had already accepted their study places for next autumn. The university's Director of Student and Academic Services, Mari Ikonen, said that about two and a half hours elapsed before the applicants were informed of the error.
"We are very sorry for the mistake," the university said in a statement.
The university asks all applicants to await the final acceptance announcements, to be made on 15 July.
A day earlier, the university had announced that it would increase the number of study places available for next autumn by 164, bringing the total to 3045.
That was based on the government's supplementary budget announced on 2 June, which earmarks more funds for universities so they can increase the number of study spots for this later this year as a means to cope with the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.