How Northern Michigan University will support Finlandia University students

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Northern Michigan University says it will offer Finlandia University students guaranteed admission for the 2023-2024 academic year to continue their education and course of study when Finlandia closes this spring.

NMU announced Friday that it is partnering with Finlandia, and its students, through Finlandia’s teach-out. This partnership will provide an educational experience, resources and support services similar to Finlandia for students who opt to receive guaranteed admission to NMU. Finlandia announced the teach-out plan on Thursday amid the news that the small private university in Hancock will not be enrolling students for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Finlandia students can enroll in NMU Summer 2023 and Fall 2023 courses beginning in late March and early April.

For Finlandia students interested in exploring education opportunities at NMU, they can contact the admissions office by visiting: nmu.edu/admissions/finlandia. NMU admissions counselors will work directly with Finlandia students, providing them with personalized attention to evaluate each student’s individual needs to ensure they get the support they need, and support academic program planning and course registration. NMU says it is able to work with all Finlandia students interested in the teach-out plan, even if their course of study or program is not offered at NMU.

“We understand that this teach-out will have a huge impact on Finlandia students, and we want the entire FinnU community to know that we are here to support them through this challenging transition,” said Dale Kapla, interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Northern Michigan University. “All Finlandia students are welcome to speak with a counselor from our admissions office to learn more about programs and courses we offer here, and how that can fit into their current area of study. We want this guaranteed admissions process to be as easy as possible for the FinnU community and for FinnU students to know they’ll be welcomed if they decide to finish their studies at NMU.”

NMU says it will directly admit Finlandia students to NMU for a future Summer 2023, Fall 2023 and Winter 2024 term, and will:

Provide Finlandia students with the same high-quality experience, resources, and support services that are available to students at Northern Michigan University.
Provide Finlandia students with NMU resident-equivalent tuition rates, which are less than Finlandia’s published tuition rates.
Waive admission requirements and application fees for eligible Finlandia students.
Accept all successfully completed Finlandia University credits.
Work with students to keep them on their degree completion timeline.

NMU Chief Marketing Officer Derek Hall said NMU hopes to help Finlandia students adjust to the new situation.

“I think we were all shocked here in the UP yesterday when Finlandia announced that they would be closing this summer. That’s a shock to everyone that’s been here. Finlandia has been around for 126 years, Northern for 124 years, so they’ve been partners in higher education in the UP for a long time,” said Hall. “With their announcement, we are working with them to make the transition for their students easy. If they want to come to Northern, we are clearing the path for that to happen.”

Northern Michigan University says it will adhere to all guidelines and best practices of the Higher Learning Commission and any other accreditors specific to programs included in this teach-out plan.