According to the report, the Education ministry’s financial head, Markku Linna, wishes to raise the amount of income a student is allowed to earn during the academic year. This would be in line with a raise in general student benefits.
Students themselves are demanding an increase in permissible levels of income.
However, political reactions are mixed. Culture minister, Tanja Karpela is supporting the move, but warns that the changes could cost the state tens of millions of euros. Education minister Antti Kalliomäki is more careful, wanting a full assessment of last year's benefit payments and procedures before any decision is made. Seppo Riski of the Centre Party opposes raising income thresholds and suggests an alternative, in the form of increased tax breaks.
At the moment a student who receives a study grant and housing benefit for nine months of the year is allowed to receive up to €9,090 in alternative income before their state benefits are affected.
The current debate arose when the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) announced that they were attempting to reclaim overpaid payments to students who had breached the income threshold.
YLE24