You can apply for an extension to your study right if you have been registered as non-attending student based on a reason mentioned in the Universities Act (i.e. statutory reason). The procedure depends on when the reason for the absence began. If your studies have been delayed for any other reason, you can apply for additional time to your study right from your own faculty.
Semesters during which you are registered as non-attending due to statutory reasons as defined in the University Act (e.g. military service) are not considered as part of your targeted study time to complete the degree. These statutory reasons include service under the Conscription Act (1438/2007), Non-Military Service Act (1446/2007), or Act on Women's Voluntary Military Service (194/1995, and time off to care for a child following the birth or adoption of a child. Child home care allowance is not a reason for absence which extends your study right.
- First-year students may only register as non-attending on the grounds specified in the Universities Act if the reason for non-attendace covers even a single day of the first academic year. The reason must be verified by the university in advance, e.g. with a service certificate; see the registration instructions for new students for further details. Once the reason for non-attendance has ended, a certificate confirming the period of absence (non-attendance) must be sent to the Student Centre Disco; see below.
- A personal disability or illness that constitutes a valid reason for absence in the first year is grounds for registering as non-attending, but not for an extension of the duration of studies, unlike the aforementioned reasons relating to military and civilian service and childcare.
- In other years of study, a student may register as non-attending without a specific reason. You may register as non-attending on statutory grounds if the statutory reason covers even a single day of the semester in question. The reason must be reported to the university and, if necessary, verified retrospectively.
If your studies have been delayed for reasons other than the statutory reasons mentioned above, apply to your faculty for an additional time to your study right.
When studying under the additional time, registering as non-attending will not extend your study time for any reason. However, the statutory grounds for absence mentioned above may be taken into account as a factor that has delayed your studies when applying for a additional time from your Faculty.
Notify the Student Centre about reason for the extension during your studies
If you have registered as non-attending starting 1 August 2025 or later, the non-attendance will be regarded as a statutory reason only if you have registered as non-attending for the semester in question and if the statutory reason is indicated on the document you submit to the Student Centre Disco for Peppi. Submit a certificate of absence (non-attendance) to the Student Centre Disco while your right to study right is still valid. The certificate cannot be submitted after your study time as ended.
- If you have registered as non-attending for a statutory reason, you may notify the university of this after the reason for your absence has ended. However, a statutory reason for absence must be reported whilst your study time (the actual duration of the degree programme) is still valid; The certificate cannot be submitted after your study time as ended or when studying on additional time.
The notification should be sent by email to the Student Centre Disco (disco@utu.fi) at any time during your studies; a decision on the remaining duration of your study time will also be made at that time. In your message, please state that you are notifying the university of a statutory reason for absence, as well as the semesters during which you were registered as non-attending for a statutory reason.
- You may also submit a paper copy of the certificate by post (Student Centre Disco, 20014 University of Turku) or by bringing it to the Student Centre’s service desk during its opening hours.
If your non-attendance began before 1 August 2025, the semesters during which the above-mentioned absence criterion begins or ends will be assessed on a case-by-case basis when granting the extension. Such semesters will not normally be counted to your targeted study time of your degree if you can justifiably claim that the absence has interfered with your studies. If you are then registered as non-attending for the beginning or end of a semester, the university may, on the same grounds, consider that such a semester is not counted into the semesters you can be registered as non-attending. You may submit your notification during the final semester of your study right. It cannot be processed any earlier. The application/notification cannot be submitted after your right to study has expired, nor whilst you are studying under additional time.
- The notification is made to the Student Centre Disco, which will also decide on the remaining study time.
- The notification is made using the electronic form, which can be found at the bottom of this page, together with instructions on how to use it.
- The notification must be accompanied by a certificate stating the reason for the absence:
- For military and civilian service, a service certificate or a photograph of a military passport
- For maternity, paternity, pregnancy and parental leave, a copy or a photo of the Kela decision on parental leave or an equivalent certificate from a foreign authority for statutory parental leave. You may conceal information on income.
- The certificates can be in Finnish, Swedish or English.
- If for any reason you cannot use the electronic form, please use the pdf form to notify the extension.
Electronic form for study time application
- Study time application
- It is possible to use the same form either for extension (statutory reasons) or for additional time.
- Log in using your UTU user account. If your UTU user account is not active but you can use Suomi.fi -identification, please choose “Other users” from the Log in –page and create PIN code that will be attached to your other email address.
- The form is automatically delivered in the language defined by your browser settings. It is possible to change the language in the form.
- If you don’t have active UTU user account and access to Suomi.fi –identification, please use the paper form (below).
- Please get the required documents ready before filling in the application, because you can't save the application if it is not ready, and you can't send it without required attachments.
- You will get an e-mail after you have send the form successfully.
- If you apply on basis of the statutory reasons, you need only a document about that reason. Attachments containing medical information may not be attached to the electronic application but must be submitted separately to the Student Centre Disco. Please use your own utu-email for sending the attachment to disco@utu.fi. The attachment can be delivered also by post: Student Centre Disco, FI-20014 University of Turku, Finland.
Students who do not have a UTU user account or access Suomi.fi -identification will use the pdf-form:
Please read instructions carefully before sending the form. Required documents must be enclosed with the form.