Kela OT 7e: Assistance with Student Loan Interest

What is Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest?

Form OT 7e is Kela's English application for assistance with student loan interest (korkoavustus). It is for people repaying a student loan with a government guarantee whose income is low: Kela can pay the interest either to you, once you have paid the interest and the bank's notification costs for the whole half-year, or straight to the bank, if you pay every six months on the dates set in the Act on Student Financial Aid (15 June and 15 December).

The two pages ask for your details and bank account, which half-year the interest is for and how often you pay, the interest and notification costs, each student loan and whether the assistance goes to the bank, to you or to both, your gross taxable income for the four months Kela looks at, and how many under-18 children you or your spouse care for.

FileIt guides you through OT 7e in plain English, checks your personal identity code and IBAN, adds up your total taxable income, and prints everything into Kela's own PDF, saved in your vault. The form is posted to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. FileIt never sends anything to Kela.

Who fills it: Borrowers on a low income repaying a government-guaranteed student loan
Given to: Kela, by post to PL 10, 00056 KELA
Deadlines: Paid to you: 31 August or end of February. Paid to the bank: 5 June or 5 December
Income period: 1 February to 31 May, or 1 August to 30 November
Edition: OT 7e 03.24
Pages: 2

Who needs to fill out Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest?

Former students whose earnings are low while they repay a Finnish student loan.
Borrowers who are unemployed, on family leave or on a benefit and struggle to cover the loan interest.
People who pay the interest monthly or every three months and want the assistance paid back to them.
People who pay twice a year on the statutory dates and want Kela to pay the bank directly.

When to use Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest

For the first half of the year (January to June): by 5 June if paid to the bank, or by 31 August if paid to you.
For the latter half (July to December): by 5 December if paid to the bank, or by the end of February if paid to you.
Each half-year you want help with: one application covers one six-month interest period. If the deadline falls on a non-business day, the previous business day counts.

What you need before you start

Your personal identity code and an IBAN for payments to you.
Each loan's number and the bank that granted it.
The interest and notification costs for the half-year, and proof of payment such as a bank statement (a direct-debit notice is not enough).
Your gross salary, capital income and benefits paid in the four months that count.
Proof of income missing from the national incomes register, such as capital income, self-employment or foreign income.

What’s on Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest

The 2024 edition has 2 pages. FileIt asks for it in 9 parts, and it is signed by Applicant:

1 ApplicantApplicant
2 Bank account number of the applicantApplicant
3 Amount of student loan interestApplicant
4 Student loanApplicant
5 Interest payment period and taxable incomeApplicant
6 Underage childrenApplicant
7 EnclosuresApplicant
8 Additional informationApplicant
9 SignatureApplicant

How to fill out Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest, step by step

1 1-2 Applicant and bank account

Your identity code, name, phone and e-mail, and the account the assistance is paid into. Kela gets your address from the population data system. For a foreign account, also complete form Y 121e.

2 3 Amount of student loan interest

Tick the half-year and how often you pay. If you pay monthly or every three months, give the total interest and notification costs for the half-year; if you pay every six months, Kela gets these from the bank.

3 4 Student loan

Up to three loans, each with its number and bank, and whether the assistance goes to the bank, to you, or both. With monthly or three-monthly payments Kela can pay only the June or December instalment to the bank.

4 5 Taxable income

Gross salary, capital income and benefits paid from 1 February to 31 May (first half-year) or 1 August to 30 November (latter half). FileIt adds up the total line.

5 6-8 Children, enclosures, extra information

How many under-18 children you or your spouse care for, which proofs you enclose, and any extra notes with the section number they refer to.

6 9 Signature

Place and date, then your signature confirming the information is true and that you will report changes.

Common mistakes to avoid

Sending a direct-debit notice as proof of payment: the form says it is not sufficient.
Giving income for the wrong months, rather than 1 February to 31 May or 1 August to 30 November.
Missing the deadline for the half-year, which differs depending on whether the assistance goes to you or to the bank.
Listing a loan without ticking to whom the assistance is paid.
Giving net rather than gross income.

After you fill it out

Print and sign the PDF, add the enclosures and post it to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA. FileIt never sends anything to Kela.

Keep the application, the bank statements and Kela's decision in your FileIt vault, so the next half-year's application is quicker to prepare.

Fill out Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest online with FileIt

Pick the person. Choose someone from People and FileIt fills in their name, date of birth, address and other details it already knows.
Answer plain-language questions. One part of the form at a time, with the official help text beside each question — 31 fields in all. Your answers save as you go.
Check the live preview. Watch your answers land on the real Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela) form, and let FileIt do any worksheet arithmetic.
Generate the official PDF. FileIt prints your answers into the agency’s own PDF and files it in that person’s folder in your vault. Sign it, or send it for e-signature.

FileIt fills the form — it never files or submits anything for you. Deliver the finished form to whoever asked for it, the way the form’s instructions say.

Start Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest now — it’s free

Kela OT 7e - assistance with student loan interest: frequently asked questions

What is assistance with student loan interest?

A Kela benefit that pays the interest on a government-guaranteed student loan for someone whose income is low. It can go to you or straight to the bank.

Which months does Kela look at for income?

For the first half-year, income paid from 1 February to 31 May; for the latter half, 1 August to 30 November. You give gross amounts.

Can the assistance go both to the bank and to me?

Yes. The form says to tick both alternatives if you apply for payment to both.

Do I need to send bank statements?

If the assistance is paid to you, enclose proof of the interest and notification costs paid for the whole half-year. Kela gets the figures from the bank when you pay every six months.

Where do I send OT 7e?

By post to Kela, PL 10, 00056 KELA, as printed on the form.

Does FileIt file the application?

No. FileIt fills Kela's PDF and keeps it in your vault; you send it to Kela yourself.

Official sources

Blank form (PDF), published by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela): https://www.kela.fi/benefit-forms/OT7e.pdf
Official instructions and guidance: https://www.kela.fi/student-loan
Edition shown on this page: OT 7e 03.24 (checked 2026-10-19).

FileIt is not affiliated with or endorsed by Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kansaneläkelaitos / Kela) or any government. This page explains the form in general terms and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Always read the official instructions, and check that you are using the edition the recipient accepts. Page last reviewed 2026-10-19.