APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business
APPLICATION TO THE HIGHER NATIONAL DIPLOMA AND BACHELOR OF BUSINESS -PROGRAMS
Personal data
Photograph
Last Name:
First Names:
Street address:
Zip code, town and country:
Phone:
E-mail:
Skype:
Date and place of birth:
Paste your photograph
here.
If applicant is a non-EU citizen:
Passport number, place of issue and validity:
Citizenship
Please tick appropriate:
__ I have residence permit in Finland or EU __ I do not have residence permit in Finland or EU
APPLICANT'S EDUCATION
Year of graduating high school and name of school:
Please list below if you have had any other education after graduating from high school:
If you don’t have a high school diploma, describe some other aspects of your background that will help
you to succeed in your studies:
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APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business
JUSTIFICATION OF APPLICATION
Answer each of the questions below with no more than 200 words. If necessary, continue on an empty
sheet.
What would you want to accomplish in five years?
Write your answers here. You can use as many rows as needed.
2. Describe a significant event in your life, in which you had to take responsibility or step outside your
comfort zone?
Write your answers here. You can use as many rows as needed.
3. Why are you interested in studying at HELBUS?
Write your answers here. You can use as many rows as needed.
4. What makes you confident that you will get a job with the HELBUS HND-degree, which is not yet
widely known among employers? Or, do you plan to continue your studies towards a Bachelor's
degree?HND
Write your answers here. You can use as many rows as needed.
5. What makes you confident that your proficiency in English is sufficient to understand the spoken and
written English in the lectures and to express yourself in class, small group work, writing papers and
taking exams?
Write your answers here. You can use as many rows as needed.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF HELBUS
The HELBUS degree
Through HELBUS you can earn a Bachelor of Arts in Business (BA) –degree as quickly as in two years as
follows:
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APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business


You first complete the two-year BTEC Level 5 Higher National Diploma in Business (HND), which is
equivalent to the two first years of university Bachelor’s education. Because HELBUS also has a summer
term, the HND is typically achieved in 1,5 years.
After completing the HND, it is possible to apply to over 40 universities abroad to complete the
Bachelor’s degree in so-called Top up -programs. These programs typically take between 8-12 months
to complete, depending on the receiving university. In England, top up -programs usually last for one
year. The receiving universities make their admittance decisions based on their own policies and
practices, and the achievement level of the student may influence those decisions. (All HELBUS
students who started their studies in 2012 and applied for top up -programs were admitted.)
Tuition and other fees
HELBUS does not receive any government support and funds its operations through tuition fees. The tuition
fee payments of 3.950 € fall due four times before the beginning of term. Altogether, the tuition fees for
the full HND program for those who start in fall 2014 are €15.800. The payment of tuition fees entitles the
student to participate in tuition and assessment during the term.
In addition, the student must prepare to purchase course books at an estimated cost of €350 per term, and
have a laptop with the MS Office software installed.
If the student does not submit his assignments by the submission date, or by the subsequent resubmission
date earning at least a Pass, HELBUS will charge €250/course unit for the administrative and assessment
costs of any late submissions (late submission fee).
List of payments and payment schedule
HELBUS reserves the right to make changes in the schedule.
Item
Payment, in
euros (incl VAT)
Schedule
Remarks
After the
admittance
decision
Will be reimbursed in the payment of the
first tuition fee. Non-refundable.
If the 300€ confirmation fee has not been
paid, the tuition fee is €3.950
Confirm study place
300
Tuition fee, fall term
2014
3.650
August
Tuition fee, spring
term 2015
3.950
January
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APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business
Tuition fee, summer
term 2015
3.950
March-April
Tuition fee, fall term
2015
3.950
August
Books
Appr. 350 per term
Late submission fee
250 per course
unit
1-2 times per term
According to actual book procurement costs.
If required
Administrative and assessment cost of
assignments submitted after the
resubmission date
The student’s right to cancel
The 300 € confirmation fee will not be refunded even if the student does not start his studies.
It is possible for the student to cancel his participation in a certain term or the full program by informing
HELBUS by email before the start of a new term. Tuition fees will not be refunded after the term has
already started.
If the student has passed course units and they are validated by Edexcel, his achievements are valid for five
years from the start of his studies, and the student can return to complete his studies at HELBUS. The
tuition fee that prevails when he returns will be applied.
Missing course units
If a student does not participate in a certain course unit, but has paid the tuition fee, his next opportunity
to pass the course without additional payments is when it is offered next according to the course schedule
(normally after one year). It is possible to pass course units by independent study only in exceptional cases
(provided that it has been agreed before the start of studies and that the student performs at an
acceptable level).
If the student starts studies in Spring term 2015, he can usually take the Fall 2014 courses with the new
cohort starting in Fall 2015. In this case he can take the course units of the last semester in Fall 2016. In
exceptional cases it may be possible to pass the first fall term’s course units through independent study.
The normal tuition fee will be applied in such cases.
About the studies
Classes are held five days a week, four hours a day, between 10 to 2 p.m. (HELBUS reserves the right to
change class hours.) To ensure that all students reach the set learning outcomes, attendance is mandatory.
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APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business
Only one unexcused absence is allowed per course unit. A medical certificate or a certificate from the
employer is required for absences due to illness or work schedules. Travel is generally not a valid excuse for
absence. The purpose of the mandatory attendance policy is to enable the students to keep up their studies
at the intensive pace required, and thus enhance the value of their investment in their education.
HELBUS emphasises the practice of following deadlines, as is customary in working life, too. Each professor
allows sufficient time for preparing the assignments both during the course unit and after, and sets a
submission date. Based on the professor’s feedback, students have another opportunity to improve their
performance before a resubmission deadline. If the student fails to submit tasks at an acceptable level
before those two deadlines without an acceptable reason, a €250 late submission fee will be applied per
course unit. An acceptable reason would be an illness documented by medical certificate.
The position of HELBUS in the Finnish Higher Education System
Private universities commonly deliver higher education in the world. 7-9 out of the top ten universities in
the world are private. The Finnish legislation for higher education does not recognise private universities in
any way, however. A number of consequences arise from this:
Will employers recognise the HELBUS Higher National Diploma?
The main idea is that the student completes his Bachelor’s degree by studying two years in HELBUS and
then one year in a university abroad, and is awarded the degree by the university abroad. These foreign
degrees are fully recognised by private employers. HELBUS students may also choose to apply for a job
without taking the third year in a university abroad. The cornerstone of the HND is that it builds the
employability of the student with every single course unit and with specialised units such as “Personal and
Professional Development”. Although HELBUS may not yet be widely known among employers, private
sector employers are free to hire whomever they choose, whether or not the government recognises the
HELBUS degree. It is likely that you will have to inform your future employers about the content of your
studies and the knowledge and skills that you have acquired.
Applying for a public position (i.e., working for the Finnish national or local government)?
As the Finnish law does not recognise private universities, the HELBUS Higher National Diploma by itself
does not make you eligible for applying for a position in government. If you wish to obtain such eligibility,
you can first earn a Bachelor’s degree by applying to a university abroad after graduating with an HNDdegree from HELBUS. After completing the Bachelor’s degree abroad, you can then apply for a decision of
equivalence from the National Board of Education, if intending to apply for a public post.
You should be aware of the possibility that such a decision of the National Board of Education may be
negative, on the basis that the Bachelor’s degree has not been fully gained abroad. In that case, you can still
apply for an international or Finnish Master’s degree program and become eligible for public positions in
that way.
With a HELBUS Higher National Diploma, can I apply to any university to complete a Bachelor’s degree?
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APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business
As HELBUS is not recognised by government, some universities may not give credit for studies completed at
HELBUS. Currently, there are over 40 English universities, which accept HELBUS HND-graduates for top-up
studies. Even though the HND will not automatically guarantee admission to these universities (as
admittance depends on each university and their admittance criteria), we are confident that HELBUS
students who pass all courses during the first two years will receive a place in a top up program abroad.
Am I eligible for Kela subsidies while studying at HELBUS?
A private educational institution such as HELBUS may apply for equivalence for its degree from Kela after it
has operated for a year. HELBUS applied for such a decision in September 2013. Kela found that HELBUS
studies are equivalent to university studies in Finland, but Kela’s decision to award benefits to HELBUS
students was nevertheless negative. HELBUS is appealing the decision from the Supreme administrative
court. If the appeal is successful, HELBUS students will be eligible for the same Kela financial aid and other
benefits as the students of public higher education institutions. If the appeal is not successful, HELBUS
students will not be eligible for the said benefits. It may take until the end of 2014 before the Supreme
administrative court reaches a decision.
Will I be able to acquire student housing, an official student card and get student discounts?
The official student card system is administered by Lyyra Oy, which has informed us that HELBUS students
will be eligible for a student card only after our students are eligible for Kela benefits. Therefore, HELBUS
students currently get student discounts only based on individual agreements with providers. HOAS has
informed HELBUS that its students are welcome to apply for student housing after they have been found
eligible for Kela benefits. (See above)
Other conditions
Changes in the program
HELBUS reserves the right to change any course unit, lecturer or the timing of any course unit in the
program. If HELBUS cancels a course entirely, it will make its best efforts to offer an alternative way to pass
the course unit. An alternative way may be e.g. an independent study of the topic combined with an exam
or report. In this case assessment will be based on the exam and/or the report. The assessor in such case
will be a person with sufficient academic credentials.
Force majeure
HELBUS is not liable for failure to perform its obligations if such a failure is a result of, e.g., fire, flood,
earthquake, storm, hurricane or other natural disaster, war, invasion, act of foreign enemies, hostilities
(regardless of whether war is declared), civil war, rebellion, revolution, insurrection, military or usurped
power or confiscation, terrorist activities, nationalisation, government sanction, blockage, embargo, labour
dispute, strike, lockout, or interruption or failure of electricity or telephone service, or any other
unforeseeable event that prevents HELBUS from performing its obligations.
If such an event arises, HELBUS will try to inform the participants of its program as soon as possible. If such
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APPLICATION TO HELBUS Helsinki School of Business
an event arises HELBUS has the right to change or cancel parts of its programs. In such a case HELBUS will
make its best efforts to offer an alternative way to deliver the cancelled parts of the program.
SIGNATURE
By signing this I hereby certify that the information provided is correct to the best of our knowledge and
belief and that I have agreed to the above terms of HELBUS programs.
Time and Place: _________________________________
Signature: ______________________________
Scan this signed application form and e-mail it to info@helbus.fi. Attach a scanned copy of your high school
diploma and scanned copies of transcripts and certificates of any prior studies. Alternatively, mail the
signed form and certified copies of documents to:
HELBUS Helsinki School of Business Oy
Westendintie 99-101 C 42
02160 Espoo
Finland
Please do not send us originals. We will not return applications or any material sent to us.
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