Foreign students in Finland are being lured by third-party education agents with misleading promises about jobs, income and life in the so‑called “world’s happiest country”, according to a new investigation by Yle’s MOT programme. Many fee‑paying students from South Asia arrive heavily in debt and end up in poverty and marginalisation, dependent on food aid and at risk of losing both their studies and residence permits.
Agents sell a dream of the “world’s happiest country”
MOT found that partner recruitment agents working for Finnish universities of applied sciences present Finland as a place where students can easily fund their studies through part‑time work. In undercover calls made in India and Bangladesh, agents told prospective students that once in Finland they would quickly find a job and “easily manage” their expenses from the income.
In one recorded call, an agent reassured a client that they would not need savings for living costs because a part‑time job would cover accommodation and daily expenses. Other agents claimed that work is available even without Finnish language skills, portraying Finland as an open labour market where international students can move directly into paid work alongside their degree.
These claims clash with the current reality. Finland is facing high unemployment, and job‑seeking is particularly difficult for non‑Finnish speakers and recent arrivals. For many students, the promise of quick employment turns into long periods without income, creating a gap between expectations and everyday life.
Misleading recruitment and the role of Finnish universities
The use of education agents has become an important part of how Finnish higher education institutions recruit fee‑paying students, especially from outside the EU. Agents help applicants choose programmes, navigate the admission process and prepare visa applications, in exchange for significant fees. For universities, they are a way to reach new markets and secure tuition revenue.
According to the investigation, however, some agents routinely provide false or incomplete information. Undercover callers were told that a student can live on a part‑time salary alone, despite official guidance from the Finnish Immigration Service that a student should have at least 9,600 euros per year to cover basic living costs.
In some cases, agents even advised students to borrow money temporarily to show the required funds during the visa process and repay the loan later. This practice is not compatible with Finnish rules on proving financial self‑sufficiency and exposes applicants to serious debt risks before they even arrive in Finland.
Universities interviewed by MOT acknowledged that these promises are misleading and violate the principles of their cooperation agreements with agents. Representatives from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences and LAB University of Applied Sciences described the agents’ claims as “quite unfounded” and said they would review partnerships and consider terminating contracts where necessary. They also stressed that prospective students must receive accurate information about work opportunities and living conditions.
Foreign students in Finland caught between debt and precarity
Behind the recruitment figures are individual stories of financial vulnerability. MOT spoke to several students from Nepal and India who arrived in Finland after being told that finding a job would be straightforward and that they could quickly repay the debts taken on to cover tuition fees and the move.
One Nepalese student, Rikita, borrowed around 30,000 euros from relatives to finance her studies and relocation together with her husband, expecting to repay the money within six months thanks to part‑time work. Once in Finland, she discovered that jobs without Finnish language skills were scarce and often poorly paid, making it impossible to meet both living costs and tuition instalments.
Rikita now faces almost 10,000 euros in upcoming tuition fees. If she cannot pay, she risks losing her study place and residence permit, despite having followed the advice given by recruitment agents. She and her husband survive on a modest integration allowance and food handouts from charities and churches.
Indian student Bhavesh Patel reported a similar experience. He enrolled in a hospitality management programme after being told that student jobs in Finland were plentiful. Instead, he has struggled to secure stable work, saying that agents “are only interested in their commission” and do not consider what happens to students once they arrive.
These stories reveal how foreign students in Finland can become trapped between formal expectations of self‑sufficiency and a labour market that does not offer the opportunities they were promised.
From education reform to a new “poor underclass”
Religious and social organisations in Helsinki report that foreign students have become a visible presence in food bank queues. The chaplain of the Helsinki Parish Union describes them as “victims of international education recruitment” and argues that a new “poor underclass” has emerged within Finnish society as a result of misleading practices.
According to this assessment, the roots of the problem lie partly in a 2022 education reform adopted under Sanna Marin’s government. The reform granted students from outside the EU a continuous residence permit for the full duration of their studies, rather than requiring annual renewals, and made it easier for them to bring family members. While spouses can access some social benefits, the students themselves are still expected to cover living costs and tuition through their own resources.
The reform encouraged universities to expand English‑language degree programmes and attract more fee‑paying students in line with Finland’s broader goal of boosting international recruitment. However, it also increased the number of students arriving with substantial debts and high expectations of the Finnish labour market.
Without realistic information about employment prospects and income, these students can slide into a poverty trap. They may be unable to pay tuition fees, at risk of losing their residence permits and more vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace or even in private housing arrangements.
A Nordic welfare state facing its education export dilemma
The investigation raises broader questions about how a Nordic welfare state manages its growing “education export” sector. Finland has actively promoted itself abroad as the “world’s happiest country”, with high‑quality public services and a safe environment. For many prospective students in South Asia, this image is combined with the promise of a European degree and a pathway to a more secure future.
In practice, the combination of high tuition fees, strict self‑sufficiency requirements and a tight job market can leave foreign students with little protection if initial promises turn out to be inaccurate. Churches, NGOs and local volunteers are increasingly stepping in to provide informal safety nets, from food distribution to legal advice.
Universities interviewed by MOT have pledged to reassess their relationships with agents and to strengthen monitoring and communication. Some have indicated that misleading partners could lose their contracts. At the same time, calls are growing for clearer national rules on the use of education agents and for better access to reliable information for applicants abroad.
For Finland and other Nordic countries that seek more international students, the case highlights a tension between economic goals and social responsibility. The outcome of the current debate will help determine whether foreign students continue to face a hidden risk of financial ruin, or whether recruitment practices and support systems are reshaped to match the values that Finland projects to the rest of the world.
