HOUSING AND COST of LIVING
The accommodation situation for students in Vaasa is fairly good. VOAS (The Vaasa Student Housing Foundation) provides accommodation for approximately 2,500 students. Student accommodation facilities are continually being expanded, each year approximately 200 new places are provided.During the past few years, the Foundation has been able to grant accommodation to almost all first year students who applied. Also for an exchange student housing is guaranteed, provided that the student notifies his arrival two months in advance. The typical student accommodation consists of a furnished study bedroom in a shared flat containing two or three such bedrooms. The university is very much a multi-site institution, with student accommodation facilities situated in various parts of the town, generally in the form of terraced houses or blocks of flats. The rent for a room in a student flat varies from FIM 800 to 1,200 per month depending on size and location. Rent for family accommodation varies from FIM 1,300 to 2,500 per month. The Foundation also provides information on so-called free market accommodation.
The cost of living is on average comparable to the rest of Europe. For basic expenses such as food, rent, and transportation a student will need FIM 2,500‚3,500 per month (1 ECU = 5,7 FIM), which will be roughly spent in the following way:
Rent:600‚1,200
Food:1,500
Transport:200
Leisure, other personal costs:500Occasional expenses will be among others the Student Union membership fee (FIM 484 for the academic year 1996‚97). The expense for course books is very low, since most of the course books can be borrowed from the university library. Depending on your personal spending habits (food, social life, travel plans within Finland and neighbouring countries, books and other materials, sport equipment, etc.) you should plan to supplement your budget by FIM 500-1,500 monthly.
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