Arcada University of Applied Sciences

Services & Facilities

Accomodation

Majstranden as well as Helsinki opiskelijaasuntosäätiö HOAS offer accommodation for students close to Arcada.

Arcada does not offer accommodation to students, however the International Office may help exchange students find accomodation.

There are 227 student apartments on campus, next to the Arcada building. The apartments are very popular, but more information on possible available apartments can be found at
HOAS owns a large number of student apartments in the metropolitan area. Further information can be found at
Library

The prime task of Arcada library is to provide services for the students and staff of Arcada. In addition, it works as a library open to the public.The library's collections can be used in the library, and the e-materials can also be accessed outside Arcada through the Nelli Portal.

Health Care H1N1 2009 -vaccinations for students under 25 at universities of applied sciences

Vaccinations for students at universities of applied sciences in Helsinki will be available as of 8.12.2009

The students who live in Helsinki can get the vaccine from their health care stations without making an appointment during regular opening hours. Students who do not live in Helsinki, can get the vaccine from their own municipality’s health care station or in Helsinki from the health care stations in Haaga, Itäkeskus, Malmi or Viiskulma during their regular opening hours.

After the vaccination your health will be monitored for half an hour. After that you will receive documentation of the vaccination. The vaccination will also be registered in the electronic health report. The H1Ni vaccine and vaccination are free of charge.

H1N1 can have the same side effects as the regular seasonal influenza vaccine, like vague symptoms of illness or muscle soreness. The area around the injection can become red, feel hot, become swollen or hurt. The H1N1 is suitable for almost everyone. If you are allergic to eggs or if prior influenza vaccines have given you allergic reactions, you should talk to a nurse or a doctor about the vaccination.

The opening hours for the health care stations in Helsinki can be found here and on the webpage of each municipality.

Student Healthcare

According to the Act on the Amendment to the Public Health Act (626/2007) which came into force on 1 July 2007, the term healthcare for the student has been changed to student healthcare. It encompasses in its entirety student healthcare for schools at the second stage, upper-secondary schools, and tertiary institutions whereas healthcare for upper-secondary students was formerly part of school healthcare. The public health law also includes more detailed prescriptions regarding goals, content, follow-up, and assessment when it comes to student healthcare.

The municipalities are responsible for offering student healthcare for students at schools within the municipality regardless of the place of domicile of the student.

After the amendment to the Act on 1 July 2007, a municipality or regional authority that maintains a healthcare centre shall offer oral and dental care that is part of school healthcare also to students whose home municipality is other than the municipality or regional authority that maintains the healthcare centre.

Provisions on student healthcare are stated in section 14:1:6 of the Public Health Act. It provides that healthcare centres in the municipalities where upper-secondary schools or tertiary institutions are located are obliged to offer student healthcare for students at upper-secondary schools and other institutions of learning as decided by decree, irrespective of the students´ place of domicile.

According to the law, student healthcare encompasses

1) the promotion of a secure and sound study environment,

2) the promotion of the students´ health and fitness for study,

3) the maintenance of health and care services, including mental health and oral and dental care.

4) Student healthcare also includes the promotion of welfare within the whole learning environment.

A student can seek health and medical care at a healthcare centre that is maintained by the municipality within which the educational institution is located on the same conditions as the residents of the municipality. The criteria for access to care apply also to a student. A student can always also use the services of the student´s home municipality if so desired.

Client fees and student healthcare

The services included in student healthcare are free of charge to the student to whom they apply. Client fees are normally charged for medical, oral and dental treatment according to that which has been decided in the legislation on client fees within social and health care.

Healthcare for a degree studenst coming from a so called third country (outside the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein )

In an EU directive issued on 13 December 2004 (2004/1147EU), requirements that must be fulfilled are stipulated for a student who studies, undergoes training, or performs voluntary work for over three months in an EU country.

The intention of the interpretation of the directive in Finland is to ensure that the student who comes to Finland is ensured basic security in the case of illness.

In practice, all students coming from a third country and having a temporary residence permit for Finland are required to possess health insurance coverage.

Requirement for health insurance

A prerequisite for being granted a visa for Finland is that the student has valid health insurance that covers health insurance costs and that the insurance is taken with a reliable and reputable insurance company. If the studies last at least two years, the student in general has a designated home municipality and will consequently have access to municipal healthcare services. It is nevertheless required that the student has private insurance that primarily covers the cost of medicines.

The insurance coverage

The insurance shall cover all the risks that the Finnish Health Insurance Act covers and for which the municipal healthcare is responsible.

A residence permit for Finland will not be granted if the above insurance stipulations are not met. The immigration authorities will check that such insurance has been taken and is valid for the time covered by the residence permit before such a permit is granted i.e. one cannot be granted a residence permit for a period longer than that covered by the insurance policy one has taken.

Home municipality

In accordance with the amendment to the Act on the Home Municipality of 1 September 2007 (399/2007) it is decreed in section 4:1 that a student who has resided in Finland for one year may apply for a home municipality.

In section 4:1:5 it is stipulated which persons can apply for a home municipality:

Among others: Those persons who have a valid residence permit allowing them a temporary stay of at least one year and who considering the circumstances in their entirety intend to settle permanently in Finland.

Factors which indicate that a person as referred to in section:1:5 is permanently resident in Finland are considered among other things to include a person having a valid work contract or a comparable statement certifying at least two years work or study in Finland, or having had temporary uninterrupted residence in Finland for at least a year after arrival.

With the above in mind, all students are encouraged to either

1) acquire private health insurance that covers medical costs and the cost of medicines, or

2) apply for a home municipality if they intend to stay here.

The home municipality is decided according to the place of residence stated on the application from the local register office.

For further information please contact Vice-President Iselin Krogerus-Therman

IT-services

The IT Centre at Arcada attends to all IT matters from support and service to maintenance and development of infrastructure and information systems. The IT Centre supports education and administration by offering services and programs that are needed for studying and working at Arcada.

Arcada has got nearly 20 computer labs and most of them are accessible by all students. Students are encouraged to independently seek help for their IT-problems in this guide and the Arcada Wiki. When the student cannot find the answer by himself, the helpdesk will happily assist him in solving the problem. One should remember though, that helpdesk is knowledgeable in general IT-related questions, but they are not experts in each and every software.

The University's computer facilities and services are provided only for students and staff, not the public.