Nearly 88,000 students took out student loans three years ago. Last year, just 79,000 students received school loans, even though the total number of students has not changed.
Last year, 60 percent of student loan recipients were women. This could be because men may earn more than women while studying, according to Jouni Parkkonen, an official from the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). He says men often enter business or technology fields which bring in more money during summer jobs than social and healthcare fields, often entered by women.
Parkkonen says there has also been a decline in study grant recipients, something he says has affected the number of loan takers. Students who receive study grants are eligible for student loans.
Students at polytechnics are more likely to apply for loans than university students. 0n average, student loan-takers receive about 3,300 euros during their studies.
Keskisuomalainen, YLE
