Want to study abroad, but don't have time to go on exchange for a whole semester? Read below about the short study exchanges and study grants that are available to our degree students. You can choose between the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), Erasmus+ blended individual short mobility and other non-Erasmus intensive courses organised by the partner schools of Lapland University of Applied Sciences.
Duration: 1-2 weeks Location: virtual part via the internet, physical part at a partner university abroad Grants: Erasmus+ daily grant (79,00 €/day), Erasmus+ travel grant and Lapin AMK travel grant (minimum 450 €/study exchange), possible Erasmus+ top-up grant if criteria are met.
Content: The most common way to go on a short 1-2 week study exchange is to participate in an Erasmus+ funded Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) study period. The course includes an online virtual component and a contact period abroad at the partner institution, usually lasting one week. The extent of the virtual component varies according to the scope of the course. The course always involves students from other universities which means you will always work with international students.
For information on BIPs, please contact your guidance counselor and teachers, as well as the internationalisation office. Courses are also announced via email lists directly to your Lapland UAS email inbox, so keep an eye on your email to hear about BIP courses in your field. You will need to apply for each BIP course separately and instructions on how to apply will be included in the email informing you about the course.
To find out more about the grants and how they are awarded, please see the Short Exchange Study Grants section.
Duration: 1-2 weeks Location: virtual part via the internet, physical part at a partner university abroad Grants: Erasmus+ daily grant (79,00 €/day), Erasmus+ travel grant and Lapland UAS travel grant (minimum 450 €/study exchange), possible Erasmus+ top-up grant if criteria are met.
Content: As a student of Lapland UAS, you have the possibility to apply for Erasmus+ funding for a blended individual short mobility study course. The course must be organised by an Erasmus+ partner institution of Lapland UAS. The course must include a virtual part and a contact period abroad at the partner institution. The scope of the contact period and the virtual part varies according to the scope of the course. The course will always involve students from all participating universities, which means you will always work together with international students. In order to be eligible for the scholarships, students must have at least 3 credits of the course towards their degree and the contact period must be at least 5 days. For example, many summer schools organised by partner universities are run under these conditions.
Duration: 5-30 days Place: Europe, Asia, America, Africa Grants: Lapland UAS travel grant (450€/change), plus a possible travel grant from the cooperation network.
Lapland UAS degree students participate annually in intensive courses other than those organised under the Erasmus cooperation. Such courses are organised, for example, under the TURID network in the Nordic and Baltic countries and by The European Association for Sport Management (EASM) as a summer school in Spain. For information on such short exchanges and summer schools in your own field of education, please contact the teachers in your field.
If you participate in an intensive course approved by your supervisor, which is not covered by Erasmus, you are entitled to a travel grant from Lapland UAS (450€/change). In addition, students may also be entitled to a grant from the higher education network organising the course. For information on such grants, please contact your teacher.
Lapland UAS study fields already have existing short exchange partnerships that our students can attend. Below you’ll find a few examples.
Registration open
Mechanical Engineering CIP Project
Every autumn, Lapland UAS’ Mechanical Engineering Program in cooperation with Fachhochschule Technikum Wien carries out an international CIP project (Cooperative International Project, 5 ECTS), where students work together with foreign language students in connection with the project’s assignment.
The project involves students from Austria and other parts of the world, as the foreign language students consist of FH Technikum Wien’s own degree students and exchange students. The project will be implemented mainly through distance learning using online tools (thematic support lectures, project meetings, presentations, workshops).
The project will culminate in November with a one-week intensive stay in Vienna, where students will have the opportunity to work on each other’s projects, take part in an excursion, explore Vienna and much more (travel and accommodation will be cost free).
Students will work in truly international teams, solving and designing a real assignment in either Austria or Finland related to energy production solutions.
The project gives students a great opportunity to get to know different ways of working, a foreign culture and to practice their English language skills, for example with a view to a future student exchange. The School of Mechanical Engineering also has a dual degree programme with FH Technikum Wien!
Students participating in this project have the possibility to apply for an Erasmus+ blended individual short mobility grant.
For more information: Jukka Joutsenvaara, jukka.joutsenvaara@lapinamk.fi, +358 50 461 2319
GRANTS FOR SHORT STUDY EXCHANGES
I) Grants for Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program (BIP) or Erasmus+ blended individual short exchanges
If a student participates in an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program or other kind of Erasmus+ blended individual short exchange period, they have the opportunity to apply for an Erasmus+ grant for the physical exchange period in the destination country and an additional two travel days.
Participants in an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program or other kind of Erasmus+ blended individual short exchange period can also apply for an Erasmus+ travel grant to cover travel expenses. The Erasmus+ travel allowance is determined by the distance between the city where the home university is located and the city where the transfer destination is located (one-way distance in kilometres). The distance is calculated using the Distance Calculator of the Erasmus+ programme.
Amount of the travel grant is determined according to the table below:
*You can apply for the Green Travel supplement if you are travelling to exchange destination (back and forth travel) using an environmentally friendly means of transport that includes a bus, train, carpooling and bicycle. At least half of the round trip should be made using these means of transport. More information on the criteria and grant amounts can be found in the Green Travel Guarantee Form.
II) Erasmus+ Supplementary Grants
Anyone going on an Erasmus exchange will have the opportunity to apply for additional support if the condition for receiving support is met.
Additional Fewer Opportunities support is available to students in the groups below. More information on the criteria and grant amounts can be found in the Fewer opportunities guarantee form.
Participation support can be provided when a special need causes extra costs for the exchange period, for which it is not possible to get support from elsewhere. A special need may be due to an injury, mental or physical illness, or a learning disability. More information on the support and how to apply for it is available from Lapland UAS’ internationalisation services or on the website of the Finnish National Board of Education.
III) Grants for non-Erasmus short-exchange periods
Students of Lapland University of Applied Sciences also participate in intensive courses other than those organised under Erasmus cooperation every year. In such cases, a degree student of Lapland University of Applied Sciences can apply for a travel grant of €450 for such a short exchange.
In addition to this, the student may also be entitled to a grant from the network of higher education institutions organising the course. For such an extra grant, you will receive information from your own teacher.
GENERAL SHORT EXCHANGE GRANT CRITERIA AND CONDITIONS
The grant can be awarded to a degree student of Lapland University of Applied Sciences who:
NB!
If the exchange period lasts more than 1 month, the number of credits must be 10 ECTS.
When receiving a grant, the grantee commits to the following conditions:
Lapland UAS is obliged to report the grants paid to students to the tax authorities when the total sum of the grants is €1,000.00 or more during the same year. Students must declare the grants they have received in their tax return.
In some of Lapland University of Applied Sciences' study programs, the student can complete a training period of less than two months' abroad. In such a situation, the training may take place entirely abroad or in a blended manner, with part of the training being conducted at home and part abroad. Please contact your student counsellor about the duration, time and place of the training
Duration: 1-30 days
Grants:
Contents:
In certain programs a student can complete their internship in a blended way in a country participating in the Erasmus+ exchange programme. This blended training means doing a part of the training virtually from Finland and part by being physically present in the facilities of the training organisation abroad. These studentscan receive an Erasmus+ grant for a physical exchange period abroad and an additional two travel days.
To find out more about the grants and how they are awarded, please see the Short Training Grants section.
Duration: 1-60 Days Grants: Lapland UAS Travel Grant (450 € / training abroad)
Contents: In some study programs it is possible for the students to complete a non-Erasmus+ short training abroad. In this case the student finds the training themselves and accepts it with their own guidance counselor. Ask more about this option from your own guide.
To find out more about the grants and how they are awarded, please see the Grants for short trainings and their award criteria section.
GRANTS FOR SHORT TRAINING PROGRAMMES
I) Erasmus+ blended training
In certain programs a student can complete their internship in a blended way in a country participating in the Erasmus+ exchange programme. This blended training means doing a part of the training virtually from Finland and part by being physically present in the facilities of the training organisation abroad. These students can receive an Erasmus+ grant for a physical exchange period abroad and an additional two travel days.
The Erasmus+ travel allowance is determined by the distance between the city where the home university is located and the city where the transfer destination is located (one-way distance in kilometres). The distance is calculated using the Distance Calculator of the Erasmus+ programme.
Travel allowance is determined in accordance with the table below:
III) Grants for non-Erasmus+ trainings of less than 2 months duration
It is possible to apply for a travel grant of €450 from Lapland UAS training other than those under Erasmus cooperation.
SoleMOVE and SoleGRANT – All exchange students must submit an online application to SoleMOVE before their exchange! – Grants will be applied for in SoleGRANT after your exchange application has been approved in SoleMOVE, you have confirmed your exchange period and you have a letter of acceptance/approval from the exchange institution and a Learning Agreement for Traineeship form signed by all parties. Grants need to be applied for before departure to exchange or training destination.
Email – Lapland UAS students should only use Lapland UAS email during the exchange. Please remember to renew your password and clear your email regularly! Contact from Lapland UAS will be made via the school’s e-mail address during the exchange period.
Financing the exchange – Remember to arrange the necessary funding for your exchange well in advance of your departure. Lapland UAS grants do not cover all the costs of the exchange, such as visa, insurance, registration fees, bail fees, etc.
Passport, visa and residence permit – Check that your passport is valid for the duration of the exchange and whether you need a visa or residence permit for your destination country. Also note that some exchange schools require a copy of your valid passport to be attached to your application form. – For more information on visa and residence permit issues and the application process, please contact the embassy of the host country. Be prepared to apply for a residence permit well in advance.
Travel notification – Make a travel notification to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before the start of your mobility period on https://matkustusilmoitus.fi. Also see Instructions on how to make a travel declaration.
Right of residence and work permit – You do not need a residence permit to enter the Nordic countries. In EU countries, you must apply to register your right of residence every time you stay for more than three months. You can obtain a residence permit in the country concerned from the foreign office or local police. To obtain a permit, you will need a passport, a certificate from your host university, proof of financial support during your stay (for example, documentation of scholarships, study grants and money you have brought or have available), passport photos and local money. Always check with the relevant licensing authority for the required documents. – In some destinations (political situation or other such reason), it is a good idea to report to the local Finnish authorities (embassy, mission or other), especially if you are staying for a long time. – Within the EU, labour can move freely without a work permit. However, if you stay for more than three months, you must apply for registration of your right of residence. For other countries, please check the work permit procedure for each country.
Kela benefits for students – For more information and the necessary forms, please contact the Lapland University of Applied Sciences Student Support Committee and visit the Lapland University of Applied Sciences website. For more information on study grants, please visit www.kela.fi.
Social security benefits (European Health Insurance Card) – EU citizens have the same social security benefits and obligations in another EU country as nationals of the country concerned. Apply to Kela for a European Health Insurance Card, which proves that you are covered by the social security system of an EU country. The card is useful if you need to be hospitalised, for example.
Insurance – Lapland UAS insures all students for the duration of the exchange period with the following insurance policies
– The insurance is only valid during the period of study and training, not during your free time. Read more about the contents of the insurance! – If you are going on an internship exchange, you must print out the certificate of validity of the liability insurance and the certificate of the statutory accident insurance to take with you. – If you are going on a study exchange, print out the certificate of validity of your group accident insurance. – In addition to the insurance provided by Lapin AMK, students should take out their own travel insurance, which is valid for the duration of the exchange, including during free time. – When travelling, it is always worth remembering that you can replace your belongings, but not your life. – If you are going to Europe, you must obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from Kela.
Tickets and timetable – Make a price comparison to find the cheapest way to travel to your destination and thus get the most out of your grant. Cheap student tickets are sold by a number of travel agencies, such as Kilroy Travels and Area, which have offices in several countries, making it easy to exchange tickets. Be sure to inform your host university or traineeship and loved ones of your travel schedule.
International student card – In Finland, travel agencies (e.g. Kilroy Travels) sell International Student Identity Cards (ISIC), which give you discounts in different countries, mainly on travel, but it’s worth bringing it up whenever there’s a student price specified (e.g. museums or other such things).
Student certificate, financial certificate, passport photos – When going abroad take with you a certificate that shows you have been admitted to study at the partner university – Also have proof that you have enough money to live on (for example, in Finland, foreigners are required to have at least €560/month); financial proof can be a document about scholarships, study grants and money available or on hand (e.g. bank statement). It is a good idea to keep copies of these documents separate, as well as your passport. – Make sure you bring enough passport photos, at least 5-10 pieces
Housing – Remember to take care of the usual housing-related matters in Finland, such as sub-letting your apartment, cancelling electricity contracts, postal matters and so on before going abroad – Get an apartment in the exchange country well in advance and keep all the papers and contracts relating to the apartment (rental contract showing the rental period and price).
Addresses and contact details
– Make the necessary address changes during your absence: post office, local register office, study office; take all important contact details with you, both in Finland, at the University of Applied Sciences (study counsellor, student services) and in the destination (e.g. Finnish embassy) and leave a copy with your family or your trusted contact person. – Bring a list of addresses and instructions on how to find your way to your destination. Pack the list in your hand luggage in a place where you can easily find it.
Money matters – Find out what is the most practical way to manage money in your destination country: whether to open a local bank account or to withdraw money from an ATM in the destination from a Finnish account, how to transfer money to the destination if necessary, and so on. Give instructions to your family or credit representative! If necessary, make a power of attorney to manage your banking affairs in Finland. You should also include other matters in the same power of attorney, such as insurance and student support. The power of attorney should be signed by two witnesses. – Find out how practical it is to take money with you: cash, travellers cheques, credit cards or other such items.
Health care – Make sure you have your basic vaccinations and visit the dentist before you go abroad. Remember to take your regular medication for the duration of your stay and take your prescription with you. Take basic medical supplies with you: plasters, bandages, painkillers, basic ointment and so on. For some destinations, it is also a good idea to take sterile injection equipment. If necessary, ask your health care provider in Finland for assistance. – Health and social work students have their own guidelines on vaccinations and checks before and after the exchange: check with your programs international coordinator for details. Lapland UAS does not reimburse the costs of any vaccinations that may be required.
Information about Lapland UAS, Finland and the exchange destination. – Be prepared to answer the most amazing questions about Finland and Lapland UAS Books such as Facts about Finland are useful. – Check out Lapland UAS’ English-language presentation material and the English-language website to make sure you have a good command of Lapland UAS terminology. You can pick up a ready-to-use information package on Laplan UAS from the KV services before you go. – You should also bring some Lapland information and pictures, for example postcards are easy to take along. – Get to know your destination country, its culture and customs as well as you can beforehand – you can find information in libraries and on the Internet.
Gifts – Be prepared for occasions when gifts are needed (for example, an invitation to a party) by bringing something small, such as local memorabilia like a keyring or the like. It’s nice to be able to take something that’s from your own country.
The SoleMOVE system is designed to support international student exchange processes. All exchangers must complete a SoleMOVE application form. Students can log on to the system with the same domain name they use to log on to their school computer.
The SoleMOVE application should be completed as early as possible. The application can be completed after the student has first discussed the exchange with the guidance counselor and internalisation services and the destination has been agreed on together. The application is also a prerequisite for receiving a scholarship.
The SoleMOVE system is also used to return post-exchange forms. For more detailed instructions on how to use the system, see the links below and, if necessary, contact the internationalisation services.
Exchange grants are applied for through the SoleGRANT programme, which can be accessed via SoleMOVE. You will be able to apply for grants once your exchange application has been accepted in SoleMOVE, you have confirmed your exchange period and you have a letter of acceptance from the exchange institution/approved Learning Agreement for Traineeships form signed by all parties.
SoleMOVE – Programme SoleMOVE – Instructions for searching Exchange Destinations and Feedback SoleMOVE – Instructions for Short Study Exchange Instructions how to fill in Online Learning Agreement OLA (BIP) SoleGRANT – Instructions for grant application (short exchanges) Instructions for two-factor HAKA login
Data protection is taken into account in all activities. For information about the processing personal data you can find from the privacy notice of SoleMOVE and SoleGRANT. Lapland UAS’ data protection web pages you can find from here.