Student healthcare services FSHS
The Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) is an expert in student health care and provides you with general health, oral health and mental health services and promotes the well-being of study communities. FSHS provides student health services for all higher education students in Finland.
Students who are entitled to use the services of FSHS must pay a healthcare fee to Kela, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland. No bill will be sent for the healthcare fee; thus, the student has to pay the fee on his or her own initiative. You can find more information on the healthcare fee later on this page.
Students who are entitled to use the services of FSHS are students who have registered as attending and who are completing
- a bachelor’s or master’s level degree earned in a university of applied sciences
- a bachelor’s or master’s level university degree.
Exchange students, students studying in open university and students in tailor-made, customer-specific training programmes are not entitled to use the services of FSHS.
Information on student healthcare services is available on the website of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS).
Self is the student’s own online service for health care issues at FSHS. You can use the Self online service for instance to manage your appointments, use chat services or access remote appointments. Start using Self as soon as you start studying!
The digital FSHS Nutrition app offers coaching, podcasts, articles and a diverse range of other material you can use whenever or wherever you choose. You can download FSHS Nutrition on your mobile device via the Self online service.
The health examination for first-year students begins with the HealthStart questionnaire. The questionnaire will appear for you to answer in the Self online service within the first academic year.
Starting 1.1.2023, students from other EU or EEA countries will have to provide a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) when accessing FSHS services. The FSHS will be required by law to ask to see a European Health Insurance Card to identify students who are covered by state-provided health insurance from a country other than Finland. The card must be obtained before coming to Finland. Students from Britain and Northern Ireland may provide a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC).
Students will have to present the card at each visit, whether remote or in person. In the absence of a card, students may provide a provisional replacement certificate.
Under the law, only students who are pursuing a degree in a Finnish higher education institution and are registered as attending for the current term are eligible for student health services.
If you are an exchange student from another country, you are not pursuing a degree in a Finnish higher education institution and are thus not eligible for student health services. EU citizens can use public healthcare services. Students from other countries must have private health insurance.
If you are completing a higher education degree at a Finnish higher education institution, you have to pay the healthcare fee for the months of attendance even when you pursue studies abroad. Where you live is not important.
If you are enrolled in a degree programme at a Finnish higher education institution and have registered as non-attending for the current term, you do not have to pay the healthcare fee.
Contact information and booking
Booking an appointment for all FSHS’s services takes place through an assessment of your need for treatment.
Learn more about FSHS’s services and check out the Health information resource.
Follow FSHS on social media
Healthcare fee for students in higher education
Since 2021, students who are entitled to use the services of FSHS must pay a healthcare fee to Kela. No bill will be sent for the healthcare fee; thus, the student has to pay the fee on his or her own initiative.
You are entitled to use the student health services to the end of the term for which you have registered as attending. If you graduate during the term, you are entitled to use the student health services until the end of the term in question.
The student healthcare fee in higher education is EUR 35.80 per term. The fee is paid to Kela once per term, i.e. twice a year. You are not billed for the fee but are expected to pay it unprompted. The due date of payment is determined based on the date on which you have registered as attending student. The healthcare fee can be paid using a payment application in Kela’s e-service or as a bank transfer.
If you do not pay the healthcare fee by the due date, Kela will send you a reminder. If the healthcare fee is paid after the due date, a late payment charge of EUR 5 must also be paid. If you do not pay the healthcare fee after having been reminded of it, Kela can withhold the fee and the late payment charge from your study grant payments without consulting you. If the fee cannot be withheld from the study grant payments, the healthcare fee will be referred to the enforcement authority for collection.
Study psychologist
Your primary guidance comes from your teachers. The study psychologist helps with study-related concerns that have not been resolved in other counselling.
If you wish to explore your situation and adaptation in a counselling session, you can book an appointment with the study psychologist. The duration of a meeting is usually 45 to 60 minutes. All consultations are confidential.
Our goal is to clarify the overall life situation, to develop studying skills, to increase your self-efficacy and to discover new thinking patterns.
If you have long-term issues with mental health that require health care, rehabilitation or a treatment plan you should consult the common health nurse or doctor. Visiting study psychologist does not replace treatment or therapy but can be an additional support.
Issues to contact study psychologist with:
- Study delays, concentration
- Motivational issues
- Study-related self-confidence
- Coping with stress and tension
- Time-management and organizing
- Learning disabilities
- Exam or thesis anxiety
- Adaptation difficulties
- Occupational identity and future plans
Tiia Lumilaakso
Study psychologist
opintopsykologi@centria.fi
Tel. 040 808 5120
Visiting address: Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius (scheduled appointments only)
Student pastor
Centria has a student pastor. He is an Evangelic Lutheran reverend in the Kokkola Parish. He is available for all the students and the faculty regardless of anybody’s religion or denomination – or any other feature. You are safe to come as you are. Contacting him is confidential and free of charge.
You can contact the student pastor when
- you wish to talk to someone about anything going on in your life. No topic is too small or too big or forbidden.
- you are interested in talking or learning more about a philosophical or theological topic.
- you need more information about church ceremonies (such as marriage, blessing of a marriage, prayer for spouses, blessing of home or baptism).
- you wish to have confirmation training (rippikoulu).
- you’d like to organize a student gathering and need help with that.
- you are interested in meeting other students in a casual atmosphere – welcome to Student evenings at Backstage Thursdays at 19 at Avara (Läntinen Kirkkokatu 17, 1. floor. Entrance is through door D, on the right of the courtyard).
Antti Björklund
tel. 050 314 7306
antti.bjorklund@evl.fi
The student pastor doesn’t have a permanent office on campus. You can contact him and reserve an appointment.
Silent space
Talonpojankatu Campus has a quiet room, space 042. The room is free to use within the campus opening hours if you need a quiet place for example for relaxation, some quiet time, calming down, meditation or practising religion.
Sport services
There are numerous sports services available to Centria’s students.
The student union COPSA organizes weekly sport shifts for Centria students. Sport shifts are free of charge for student union members and other students can buy a sport pass. You don’t need to enrol in advance for the sport shifts. COPSA also organizes sport events and sport trials for students.
You can borrow sports equipment free of charge. You can borrow sports equipment from a box near Copsa’s workspace in Kokkola. In Ylivieska, they are freely available in a box in Part B corridor. In Pietarsaari, sports equipment is in the working space of campus student services. You can borrow sports equipment on your own as long as you return it after use.
Break exercise improves concentration and enhances thinking and creativity.
The BREAK PRO break exercise app activates you to take breaks from studying and increases the well-being of both body and mind.
Set the appropriate time slots and times for the breaks. Choose your favourite exercises or let the program offer you moves. You can keep the break activity short for 1 min or opt for a longer exercise. Break movements are versatile, effective, easy and safe. Movements can be done even in a small space.
Installing instructions
You can get the app for your mobile devices from Apple’s AppStore and the Google Play Store for Android operating system. For Windows and macOS computers, you can get the application here.
Log in to the app with your centria.fi email address.
The activities facilities are freely available within campus opening hours.
- In Kokkola space 158
- In Pietarsaari space 430
- In Ylivieska space C240
Equipment found in the spaces:
- Concept2 SkiErg
- Concept2 RowErg
- Concept2 BikeErg
- Assault Airrunner Treadmill
- Table football
- Stiga Elite Roller Advance Table Tennis
Special education teacher
The special education teacher supports and helps students if they face difficulties with learning and their studies. She tests and maps different learning difficulties and takes part in planning and organising support measures and accessibility.
The special education teacher offers easily accessible support with assignments, studies and study skills in open workshops and small groups. You can also book a personal meeting with her either in person or remotely via Teams.
You can contact special education teacher if
you have received support with your studies before or you feel like you would have needed it. Let’s make sure that you get the support you need.
your studies are not going well: you have assignments piling up, it is difficult to start an assignment or you fail many courses. Let’s find out together what could help you – there are workshops, study groups and personal support available.
you suspect a learning disability. The special education teacher conducts reading and mathematical tests and will guide you forward if needed.
you are not sure who else to contact. Let’s figure out together which entity could help you the best.
Päivi Ruohoniemi
paivi.ruohoniemi@centria.fi
Tel. 050 535 96 90
Talonpojankatu Campus in Kokkola: Student Services or room 148 (best available at the beginning of the week)