Urheilijoiden Ammattienedistämissäätiö - Scholarship

URA Foundation study scholarship

You will receive 3,000 EUR for one academic year, paid in two instalments: one in November or December 2026 and one in March 2027. You may also be eligible for a half scholarship of 1,500 EUR, either for the whole year or just for the autumn or spring semester. The money is tax-free in Finland. It comes from the Urheilijoiden Ammattienedistamissaatio (URA), a foundation established in 1972 that helps elite athletes build a second career through education – either alongside their sporting career or after they have retired from competition.

Who can apply

• Who you are: You are a top-level athlete aiming for international success, or you have already retired from your active sporting career.
• What you study: Your studies lead to a professional qualification or a degree at a vocational school, a university of applied sciences or a university.
• Where you study: You are studying in Finland at one of the three institutions mentioned above.
• Sport: Every sport counts, including Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
• Nationality: All nationalities can apply.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted online via the form on the Finnish Olympic Committee’s website, which is available in Finnish and Swedish. The application period for 2026-27 runs from 15 August to 15 September 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

Every year, the foundation awards between approximately 200 and 220 scholarships (209 in the years 2023–24, and 220 in the years 2024–25). For the 2023–24 round, 719 athletes applied, meaning that around three in ten were awarded a scholarship.