Membership

In this section, you will learn how to become an ISYY member, whether you are an international Bachelor’s or Master’s degree student, an exchange student or a postgraduate student.

Under the Universities Act, all degree students (completing either a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at the University of Eastern Finland) are required to join the Student Union (ISYY). Therefore, if your aim is to complete your Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at UEF, you are ‘one of us’ and it is worth exploring the services and benefits included in your ISYY membership.

All ISYY members are entitled to use ISYY’s services in both Joensuu and Kuopio, no matter which one your ‘home campus’ is. In addition to the services provided by ISYY, our membership gives degree students, exchange students and post-graduate students access to noticeable discounts in restaurants, bars and shops all across Finland, as well as online. Degree students and exchange students are also entitled for discounts in student canteens and public transport.

If you are not a degree student and would like to become an ISYY member and use ISYY's services, below is a list of students who can join ISYY. However, please note that the below mentioned students are not entitled to use the services of the Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS).

UEF students who may voluntarily join ISYY with the degree students’ membership fee are:

• Exchange students
• Post-graduate students doing their exchange at UEF
• Contract-based students
• Students in continuing professional education studies

UEF students who may voluntarily join ISYY with the post-graduate students’ membership fee are:

• Post-graduate students
• Students with the alumni study right (formerly continued study right)

What Is Included in the ISYY Membership Fee?

Under the Universities Act, all degree students completing Bachelor’s or Master’s degree at a Finnish university are required to join one of the Finnish student unions. The Representative Council, which is a body of students who have been elected to their position by other students, determines the amount of the membership fee.

The ISYY membership fee comprises of the following components:

• Services and benefits, such as interest advocacy, survival package, and free student calendar
• Events and activities, such as City Orienteering, Vappu and club activities

Membership fee refund

Students can apply for a refund of their membership fee if they do not plan to study and change their status from present to absent. NB! Changing the status is only possible during the registration period. Also, the change has to be visible in Peppi so please ask the UEF staff at the Student and Learning Services to make this change for you. In addition, a refund can be made if a student renounces their right to study.

You can apply for a refund with the electronic form found below. The form has to be signed electronically so you will need a user ID for online banking services. If you do not have online banking codes, you can print the refund application form, found under Documents, and return it to the ISYY office. Please note that autumn semester refund must be applied for by 30 September and spring semester refund by 31 January. We will not process applications sent after the deadline.

After you have applied for a refund, please come to the ISYY office so that we can remove your term sticker from your student card. The digital student card will stop working by itself.

For more information, please contact toimisto.joensuu(at)isyy.fi.

Read more:

VismaSignForms.com, opens in new tab: Membership fee refund application

Isyy.fi, opens in new tab: Membership fee refund application (PDF)

Kamu.uef.fi, opens in new tab: Forgot to register?

Kamu.uef.fi, opens in new tab: Renouncement of right to study