Kela has sent out some 47,000 preliminary decisions for the recovery of overpaid student financial aid

The annual income limit varies according to the number of months for which a student takes out financial aid. Students who took out financial aid for nine months in 2021 were permitted other earned income of up to EUR 12,498.

The average amount of financial aid that students are required to pay back is EUR 976. The total amount of financial aid proposed to be recovered under the preliminary decisions is EUR 45.8 million. In 2021, about 320,860 students received financial aid.

Last year, Kela sent repayment proposals to 40,946 students and this year, the number of recipients increased by 6,003 persons.

The annual income check performed now only concerns student financial aid, i.e. study grants and housing supplements. The annual income check does not concern general housing allowance.

The deadline for filing a review request is mid-March at the latest

Students who have received a preliminary decision can submit a request to Kela to review their case. The deadline for requesting a review is 16 March 2023.

Students who have received a preliminary decision should request a review if they began their course of study, graduated or used up their maximum financial aid entitlement during 2021. If the reason for exceeding the annual income limit is income earned during other periods than periods of active study, the overpayment debt may be reduced or waived altogether. The preliminary decision contains instructions for how to file a review request or agree on repayment arrangements.

Read more (epressi.com)