According to local Finnish media, the National Coalition Party (NCP), the political organisation of Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, wants international students to pay the whole cost of their education. The Ministry of Education and Culture, according to the same source, has set up a working group that is getting ready to start paying the full cost of tuition fees for students from non-EU and non-EEA countries, as the government programme differs. The working group is also thinking of reinstituting fees for applicants to universities, particularly for those who finished their study outside of the EU or EEA. The objective is to end providing public assistance to overseas students who complete their degrees in Finland, according to a ministry communication to government negotiators. The action aims to free up resources for other students' education. The choice was made in response to findings that over half of international students do not want to remain in Finland after graduating, citing issues including a lack of work opportunities, dim career prospects, and challenges assimilating into Finnish society as their primary reasons for doing so. On the other hand, the Finnish Immigration Service has revealed that the number of immigration applications for work, family reunification and education purposes has increased significantly, making this country one of the most sought-after in Europe. A press release by the same, reveals that residence applications for work purposes have soared in 2023, with the changes made to legislation on student residence permits being a major push factor, in addition to granting a residence permit for the entire duration of the degree programme and allowing students to work. According to data, 90 per cent of applicants that were recorded in the first half of the year were aiming for a degree, with the majority of them coming from countries like China, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Over 5,000 applications for residence permits for educational purposes were submitted in 2022, but the following year saw a 48 percent increase in those applications, indicating that more students had chosen Finland as their study location. However, 95% of applications filed by international students were approved, and those who weren't were often turned down for lack of appropriate documentation of financial capability. “The residence permit for studies requires that the student has sufficient financial resources to live in Finland and insurance to cover the costs of possible medical treatment in Finland,” the Immigration Service stressed. The Immigration services also pointed out that non-EU students are not eligible for student financial assistance, thus, they have to pay more tuition fees than others. However, the validity period of the residence permit issued for this category of students is longer – as it can be valid for all of the study period in the country.