Income limits for interest assistance to be raised in March

Kela can pay assistance with student loan interest to those who have ended their studies and have a low income. Income limits apply to interest assistance, and they are regularly reviewed. New income limits will enter into force on 1 March 2026. The income limits were last raised in 2024.

“Raising the income limits means that more people will be able to receive interest assistance to help with their financial situation after they have ended their studies,” says Linda Reinikainen, Legal Counsel with Kela’s Student Financial Aid Group.

Interest assistance is a Kela benefit that helps with the interest on a customer’s student loan. Interest assistance is paid either to the customer or directly to the bank. Interest assistance is available to applicants whose income is below the income limit. An application for interest assistance can be submitted once the interest on the student loan is no longer capitalised, meaning that it is no longer added to the principal amount of the loan and the customer must pay the interest themselves.

“After graduation, many people worry about paying back their student loan in a situation where they may not earn much or their employment situation may be uncertain. The purpose of interest assistance is to help specifically in these situations,” says Reinikainen.

You can apply for interest assistance in OmaKela. Kela pays interest assistance once per interest payment period. This means that it is paid once every 6 months. Interest assistance is available separately for the first half of the year (January–June) and the second half of the year (July–December). Applications for interest assistance for the second half of 2025 may be submitted until 28 February 2026.

New income limits as of 1 March 2026

Family types	Income limit for interest assistance as of 1 March 2026
No children	EUR 1,662 per month
One child	EUR 1,919 per month
Two children	EUR 1,989 per month
Three children or more	EUR 2,107 per month

Income limits will increase by EUR 63–92 per month, depending on the family type. For example, the income limit for a person without children will increase by EUR 63, while the increase for a person with one child will be EUR 84.

Interest assistance was granted to more than 18,000 recipients in 2025

In 2025, a total of 18,580 people received interest assistance. The total sum of interest assistance paid came to about 8.7 million euros. The average payment of interest assistance was EUR 467 per recipient, compared with EUR 553 the year before. The number of recipients of interest assistance has been rising since 2023.

“The rise in interest rates and bigger student loans have contributed to an increase in the number of recipients. The bleak labour market outlook also has an impact on graduates’ income and their ability to pay the interest on their student loans,” Reinikainen says.

More information for customers

Interest assistance