Kenyan students face struggles in Finland amid tuition scandal

At the Attendo Amanda nursing home in Sastamala, lunch is about to begin. “Hello Kaarina, how are you? Nice to see you again!” Susan Cheptepkeny cheerfully greets the elderly residents in Finnish as she brings them plates from the kitchen. “I like you so much,” says one resident, giving her a hug.

Kenyan national Susan Cheptepkeny’s shift as a care assistant began at noon after she spent the entire morning cleaning in Tampere. Her workday stretches to 14 hours yet again.

Susan and her friend Ruth Chemutai both came to Finland to study physiotherapy at Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK). However, the program, which cost around €30,000 per student, sparked a significant criminal investigation in Kenya and left hundreds of students in debt. Their families took enormous loans for their education, and Susan and Ruth left their young children behind in Kenya to seek a better life for their families. Shortly after their arrival in Finland, it became evident that the funds paid were insufficient to cover even the first academic year.

In addition to studying, they attempted to raise money by cleaning and collecting empty bottles to avoid going to bed hungry. The debt to the school continued to rise. The recruitment program aimed to bring students from outside the EU and EEA to Finland for profitability but led to rampant corruption.

The Finnish government is now considering changing the laws governing such programs to prevent exploitation. Several universities have already canceled these programs this year following widespread revelations of abuse.

The struggles faced by these Kenyan students caught the attention of various supporters, including musician Paula Vesala, who initiated efforts to help them.