Mountain landscape reflected on Lake Wanaka, South Island, New Zealand.

Finland Applications through the national Studyinfo joint round in January for the August intake

LAB University of Applied Sciences Scholarship

Finnish universities of applied sciences are the practical, work-oriented half of the Finnish system, and LAB — formed from the merger of Lahti and Saimaa UAS — runs English-taught Bachelor's degrees in business, industrial engineering, nursing, tourism and hospitality, and design across its Lahti and Lappeenranta campuses. Non-EU tuition sits around €9,500-10,500 a year, and the scholarship reduces that by 50-100% for the first year, renewed annually on the condition that you complete at least 55 ECTS. That credit condition is the thing to plan around: it is achievable but not automatic, and students who take a light first semester lose the waiver. LAB's degrees include a compulsory practical placement, and Finland's two-year post-study residence permit gives graduates real time to convert the qualification into employment.

LAB University of Applied Sciences

University-funded

emoji_events Award Overview

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Waiver

50-100% of Tuition (~€9,500-10,500/yr)

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Renewal

55+ ECTS Per Year Required

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Placement

Practical Training Built Into the Degree

fact_check Eligibility Criteria

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Non-EU/EEA Citizen

The tuition-fee waiver applies to fee-liable students from outside the EU/EEA. Sri Lankan passport holders are eligible.

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Sri Lankan A-Levels or Equivalent

Admission requires a recognised upper-secondary qualification. Applicants with a relevant Sri Lankan diploma may be eligible for credit transfer — request an assessment before applying.

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Entrance Examination

Finnish UAS admission runs through a national entrance exam covering reasoning, English and subject-specific skills, sat online or at a test centre. Preparation for this matters more than most applicants expect.

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English Proficiency

IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for most Bachelor's programmes, or a pass in the English component of the entrance examination. English-medium Sri Lankan A-Level study can support a waiver — confirm with LAB admissions.

account_tree Application Process

Apply via Studyinfo in the January round

Finnish higher education uses a single national portal. The January round is the main international intake for August start; submit before the deadline as late applications are not accepted.

Sit the entrance examination

Register for and prepare thoroughly for the UAS entrance exam. Practice materials are published in advance and there is a meaningful gap between prepared and unprepared candidates.

Submit certified documents

Officially certified A-Level or equivalent certificates
Passport copy
English proficiency evidence where required
Any diploma transcripts for credit assessment

Accept the place and the scholarship

The tuition-fee waiver is normally granted with the offer for eligible students. Read the renewal conditions in the offer letter — the 55 ECTS requirement applies from the first year.

Residence permit

Apply to Migri for a student residence permit with proof of accessible funds (roughly €7,700 per year after any waiver) and health insurance. Processing from Sri Lanka can take two to three months.

Why LAB?

LAB University of Applied Sciences teaches around 9,000 students across Lahti and Lappeenranta, sharing a campus and research infrastructure with LUT University. Its focus areas are design, circular economy, health and business, and its degrees are built around applied projects with regional employers rather than purely academic study.