Good to know

Paying for your course

Arbis uses online payments and electronic invoices for course fees. A payment link will be sent to your email. The payment link is active for 28 days. After that you will receive an paper invoice by post. You can also pay via the ilmonet.fi online service, under your personal details. The paper invoice is not a reminder; it is an alternative payment method.

Once you have received the paper invoice, you can also pay at the office. You can pay with a debit or credit card. Unfortunately we cannot accept cash.

Paid fees will not be refunded.

Notify the office if the invoice should be sent to an address that is different to your home address. You can reach us by telephone on 09 310 494 94 or by email at arbis@hel.fi.

Some courses cover the entire study year, including teaching in both autumn and spring term. These courses will be invoiced in two parts, half in autumn and half in spring.

If you do not pay your course fees in time, you will receive a reminder together with a reminder fee of EUR 5.

If you still do not pay for your course, the fee will be passed to a collection agency.

Cancelling your registration

Inform the office if you change your mind and do not want to attend a course you are registered for, or if you want to stop attending a course you have already begun.

Just informing the teacher or not paying your fee is insufficient. The course fee must be paid if the office is notified too late.

Inform the customer service:

• at least one week before the course starts if it is a short course with six or fewer sessions
• during the first week of the course if it is a longer course with more than six sessions.

If the course has already started when you register, you can withdraw your registration immediately after the first lesson. If you have registered for a full-year long course but only want to attend during the autumn term, please notify the office no earlier than after the last session of the autumn term, but before the spring term begins. You cannot do this while the course is ongoing, as you will lose your place immediately. If you have not notified us once the spring term has begun, you will need to pay for both terms.

You can call customer service on 09 310 494 94 or send an email to arbis@hel.fi.

You can also visit Arbis’ office at Dagmarinkatu 3.

Absences from a course

You do not need to inform us if you miss one or two lessons, but please let us know if you are going to be absent for a longer period. If you are taking part in a course with very few participants, we would be grateful if you could inform us if you will be absent a few times. You may lose your place if you are absent from certain courses. This will be clearly stated in the course information.

Course discounts

You can claim a discount on our course fees if you are:

• are unemployed and seeking work
• receive parental allowance
• receive social assistance
• are a student and have a valid student card or a study certificate issued by the educational institution
• receive Kela’s national pension or guarantee pension

Contact customer service for further information.
You will not get a discount on courses for pensioners or immigrants because these courses already have a discounted price for all participants. Discounts also do not apply to cookery courses.

Study vouchers

Thanks to external funding from the Finnish National Agency of Education, Arbis can offer a lower course fee for a certain number of courses. During the study year 2022–2023, these courses are aimed at immigrants and pensioners.

Changes to course programme

Sometimes we need to cancel a course, and sometimes we add courses at a later date. You will always have access to the latest information online and at our offices.

A course will be cancelled if too few participants have registered for it. In this case, registered participants will be notified by text message or email.

A course may also be cancelled halfway through, if the actual number of people taking part is too low, even if there were many registrations.

If the teacher becomes ill or cannot come to a lesson for another reason, we will try to find a substitute teacher. If we cannot find a substitute, the lesson will be cancelled. It’s important that you give us your telephone number so that we can notify you if a lesson is cancelled. Please let customer service know if you change your telephone number.

Unfortunately we cannot lower the price of the course if a lesson is cancelled.

Do you need a certificate?

If you need a certificate to prove you have taken a course at Arbis, one will be provided free of charge. Speak with your teacher at the end of the course.

Certificates for courses taken in previous years cost EUR 10.

Study Tips

Arbis courses are for everyone. In the same course, there are participants with different needs, in various life situations and age groups. The reasons for studying/learning/taking a course vary. One person comes to learn something new, another to maintain their skills, a third to refresh and review forgotten material. And someone may participate primarily for the sake of community. This places demands on the teacher, but also on you as a course participant. You have a responsibility for your own learning. Familiarize yourself with the course objectives in advance, but remember that it can also be beneficial to formulate your own learning goals and reflect on them throughout the course.

You are part of the group!

Keep in mind to:

• arrive on time for the lesson and be prepared
• your own contribution is important for the whole group and the learning process
• change seats in the classroom occasionally and get to know other participants
• ask for help when needed
• give feedback directly to the teacher during the course
• talk to your teacher if you feel you are at the wrong level
• actively participate in discussions and group work
• show consideration, listen, and make space for others’ opinions
• practice/review at home as well in your own time
• create routines for your learning.

Participate actively and with an open mind – your attitude is visible to others and conveys energy!

Gift cards

Surprise a friend by giving them the gift of knowledge! Why not give them a new language, a cookery course or a dance lesson?
Choose a course on ilmonet.fi and contact Arbis customer service on 09 310 49494 or email us at arbis@hel.fi.

Getting to Arbis

Public transport

Arbis is easy to reach by tram or bus. Get off at the National Museum and walk 200 metres to Arbis. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Kamppi and the Central railway station.

Parking

Unfortunately Arbis has no parking spaces for course participants. Street parking in the local area is subject to a parking fee.

Taxi

There is a taxi rank just down from Arbis. The janitor at Arbis can help you call a taxi.

Wheelchair access to Arbis

You can come to Arbis in a wheelchair. All rooms are accessible. Arbis also has a wheelchair you can borrow. Call the janitor in advance on 09 310 494 92 if you need to borrow a wheelchair.

Children on courses

The adult education centre’s courses are primarily aimed at adults, but Arbis also organises courses for families, children and young people. Both the child and the adult will be registered for the family courses.

Insurance

Neither adults nor young people are insured by the adult education centre. For this reason, it is important for people taking part in, for example, woodwork courses to provide their own accident insurance.

Our rules at Arbis

Participants in our courses are expected to come to lessons in time and behave in an appropriate manner.

Wireless network

Arbis has a wireless network (Stadinet) that covers the whole building and can be used by visitors to Arbis without charge. The network is available without a password.

Computers for visitors

There are customer computers in the library. You can use the computers to make quick internet searches, check your email or take care of your banking affairs. Printing and copying for personal use in the library costs 40 cents per sheet (A4 only). You can pay for printing by card at the Arbis office.

Waste recycling

Arbis sorts and recycles its waste to promote a sustainable future. On each floor, there are recycling bins for biodegradable waste, paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass.