Statement: OYY supports the students’ occupation of the university campus

Today, on Monday 25 September, a large number of students have occupied the Linnanmaa campus of the University of Oulu. With this occupation, the students are protesting against the cuts that the government has planned for housing benefits and the income of students. Additionally, the occupiers demand that students’ mental health services are secured and that education is free for everyone. The Student Union of the University of Oulu supports this protest and shares the same concern on the excessive cuts in students’ livelihood.

‘Students are facing cuts on every facet at the moment, even though cutting the students’ income affects the future of Finland as a whole’, says Suvi-Anna Salminen, the Chair of the Board of the Student Union of the University of Oulu. ‘I fully understand why students all over Finland are protesting against these cuts, and we as a student union stand behind the message of this protest’.

The livelihood of students is already lower than that of any other group of people. A big part of the student financial aid is loan, which is more expensive for students than it has been for a long time because of the rise in interest rates. Many are already working alongside their studies to be able to financially support themselves. Cuts in livelihood are driving students to work even more, delaying their graduation. Larger workloads and concerns on livelihood are taking a toll on the well-being of students, and there is a risk that more and more students will become exhausted before even starting their careers. The ever growing loan burden and uncertainty of livelihood diminish the attractiveness of higher education studies. The cuts are in blatant contradiction with the goal of raising the level of education of Finland.

The housing benefits are facing the biggest cut with an average decrease of 76 euros for students. Freezing the index of student financial aid will further weaken the students’ spending power, which is already weak. Additionally, the cut in special groups’ investment aid will partly be directed upon the construction of student housing, even though some cities already have difficulties with reasonably priced housing.

OYY agrees with the demands of the students: students, who are already in financial distress, should not have to bear the consequences of the government’ policy of cuts!

Additional information:

Chair of the Board, Suvi-Anna Salminen, hpj@oyy.fi, 040 523 1821

Specialist of Social Affairs, Essi Leinonen, sopoasiantuntija@oyy.fi, 0405265821