Study vouchers in practice: how was the new model of study enabled in Sisu?
Study vouchers open up new opportunities for higher education studies. How has their use been enabled in Sisu, and what does it require behind the scenes?
The study voucher pilot, launched in August 2026, is one of the most significant recent initiatives to promote lifelong learning. Its aim is to give young people without a higher education study place an opportunity to begin higher education studies through open higher education courses.
For students, the voucher is a simple way to register for studies and pay for them. Behind the scenes, however, implementing the new model has required collaboration between higher education institutions, national services and student information systems.
For study vouchers to be used smoothly in the day-to-day operations of higher education institutions, student information systems must also support the new model. This is why the introduction of the study voucher is also reflected in the development of Sisu.
What is a study voucher?
A study voucher is a temporary benefit that enables young people under the age of 29 who do not have a study place leading to a degree to complete open higher education studies free of charge.
The study voucher can be used to complete a total of 30 credits and is valid for two years. Students can choose from the open higher education offerings of different institutions through the Opin.fi service, which is being developed as part of the Digivisio 2030 programme.
The aim is to lower the threshold for starting higher education studies, provide an opportunity to explore different fields and support young people in transitioning to higher education.
Simple for students, a new model for the systems
On Opin.fi, students can browse open higher education offerings, select the studies that interest them and use their study voucher to pay for them.
Behind the scenes, the systems automatically check, for example, whether the student is entitled to use the study voucher, whether it is valid and how many credits remain. The process appears simple to the student, but implementing it requires seamless data exchange between several systems.
From the systems perspective, the study voucher is not simply a new payment method. Traditional online payments involve euros, whereas the voucher payment is based on credits and the student’s entitlement to use the voucher. In addition, the same study voucher can be used for several studies offered by different higher education institutions.
This is why implementing the study voucher in Sisu required building new operational logic rather than simply adding a new payment method.
How were study vouchers enabled in Sisu?
Funidata has developed features in Sisu to support the use of study vouchers in collaboration with higher education institutions and national stakeholders. The aim has been to ensure that using the study voucher is smooth for students and that higher education institutions can adopt the new model through a shared solution.
Introducing the study voucher required several changes to Sisu.
New payment method
The study voucher was added to Sisu as an alternative to online payment. Selecting the study voucher directs the student to the payment process designed for it.
Integrations with national services
Sisu uses data from Opin.fi to ensure that the student is entitled to use the study voucher and that the registration is allocated correctly.
Strong authentication and data verification
Using the study voucher requires either strong authentication or logging in with existing credentials. Sisu verifies that the student’s details match the information received from national services before confirming the registration.
Automated registration
When all the conditions are met, the student’s registration can be confirmed automatically. If necessary, the system can also create a new user profile for the student.
Reporting support for higher education institutions
Higher education institutions need to be able to monitor and report studies completed using study vouchers. Information on study voucher use has been added to Sisu so that reporting can be carried out reliably and consistently.
What does the study voucher mean for higher education institutions?
The study voucher may increase demand for open higher education and bring new students within the scope of lifelong learning services.
At the same time, higher education institutions need systems that support the new registration, reporting and payment logic. Funidata’s aim has been to ensure that higher education institutions using Sisu can adopt the study voucher through a shared solution without the need for separate institution-specific implementations.
The study voucher is building the future of lifelong learning
The study voucher is a concrete example of how new lifelong learning services are being built through collaboration between higher education institutions, national stakeholders and system providers.
For students, the end result is a simple way to find studies and register for them. For higher education institutions, it provides a new tool for promoting lifelong learning.
From Funidata’s perspective, the study voucher demonstrates how important it is for student information systems to be able to adapt to new operating models and national services. We have developed the necessary study voucher features in Sisu so that higher education institutions can adopt the new model as smoothly as possible and provide students with an equal user experience regardless of their chosen institution.
While the student journey appears simple, a large number of systems, integrations and collaborative efforts are at work behind the scenes. Together, they make it possible to bring new study opportunities into the day-to-day operations of higher education institutions.
Further information on the study voucher:
Opin.fi: Study voucher >>>
