Information for students whose residence permits are delayed

Are you still waiting for a residence permit when the fall semester starts?

Some of our degree programmes offer an option of online studies for students whose residence permit is delayed. You can check if your degree programme offers online studies at our pages with campus-specific information about the study start. 

If your degree programme offers online studies and you wish to start your studies online while waiting for a decision on your residence permit application:

• Pay your tuition fee and register as attending as normal.
• Inform your Degree Programme that you are starting your studies online.

Note that the refund policy also applies to online studies. This means that if you start your studies online and your residence permit is later rejected, you are not entitled to a refund for the ongoing semester if you have already completed credits.

Students taking part in online studies are expected to study at the same pace as students studying on campus. To pass the courses, students are expected to participate in all the online lectures. A normal study pace is required to be eligible for a scholarship.

If your degree programme doesn’t offer online studies, or if you cannot attend online studies although online studies are offered:

• Pay your tuition fee and register as attending as normal, even if you don’t attend any courses.
• When you get your residence permit, contact the Degree Programme to check when the best time for you to start your studies is. Depending on when the residence permit is issued, your Head of Degree Programme will help you in deciding whether it is still possible to join the ongoing semester or if you should postpone your study start until next semester/academic year.

If your study start is postponed to the following semester/academic year, you can apply for a transfer of an already deposited tuition fees. The application must include:

• a picture of your residence permit card (both sides)
• a statement from the Degree Programme regarding your study start (for example mail correspondence with the Head of Degree Programme)

The application for a tuition fee transfer is sent to the Admissions Office at admissions@novia.fi. The transfer decision will be made during the time for the next attendance registration.

A precondition for transfer of tuition fees is that you have not completed any credits online while waiting for your residence permit.  

If you are denied a residence permit, you can apply for a refund of your paid tuition fee.

• Please carefully familiarize yourself with our return policy.
• A refund application is sent to the Admissions Office at admissions@novia.fi and must include:
  • the decision from the Immigration Service (Migri).
  • a filled in and singed termination of studies form.
• A condition for all refunds of tuition fees is that no studies have been completed within the study right.

Note that refunds based on a rejected residence permit are not possible for online degree programmes or degree programmes without regular contact studies on campus. Degree programmes not covered by the refund policy based on a rejected residence permit are:

• Master degree programme in Natural Resources Management
• Master degree programme in Autonomous Maritime Operations
• Master degree programme in Maritime Management
• Master degree programme in Entrepreneurship in the Arts
• Master degree programme in Structural Engineering
• Bachelor degree programme in Fine Arts

Go To: