Pay to play: How introducing an application fee affects applicant demographics (119)

09:00 – 10:30 BST, 9 September 2026 ‐ 1 hour 30 mins

Room: Poster Area 02, SEC Centre, Ground floor

Poster

✅ Included for all participants
💬 Poster (conversational)
💡 Admission and recognition

 

What happens to the applicant pool when an application fee is introduced? The number of applications is increasing globally, and at the University of Helsinki it increased nearly sevenfold over seven years. In 2024, the Finnish parliament decided to implement an application fee for applicants from outside the EU and the EEA, starting in spring 2025. This poster examines how the fee has impacted applicant numbers and demographics, as well as whether it has achieved its goals.