3. The Universities The following quotations are taken from the Www-pages of Finnish Na- tional Board of Education(see the links at Section 5), reprinted here by"There are 20 universities in Finland, with a combined student popu- lation of 135,000. Ten of these institutions are traditional multidisciplinary universities and ten are specialised institutions..." "All universities are publicly financed state bodies enjoying autonomy in respect of their internal affairs. The Ministry of Education is responsible for the general development of the higher education system..." "Students at Finnish universities do not have to pay for tuition or for taking a degree. Students can apply for financial assistance from public funds. The granting of assistance is co-ordinated by the Social Insurance Institution