Orivesi board proposes €60,000 lifeline to keep student campus running

Orivesi city board has proposed a €60,000 grant to cultural cooperative Pro Orivesi to keep the Orivesi campus operating in 2026–2027, YLE reported.

Pro Orivesi’s funds have run out and are now insufficient even to cover heating. Half of the grant would be paid this year to cover winter heating costs, with the remaining €30,000 due in 2027. Payment would be conditional on Pro Orivesi delivering a plan for the campus’s operations and finances and reporting on how the 2026 funds were used.

The plan falls under de minimis aid rules, which cap support at €300,000 over three years; Pro Orivesi has already received €15,000 under the same scheme. Officials say the grant would support local vitality, employment and cultural services. The city council will make a final decision on 26 October.

Earlier the city ordered students living at the institute to move out; 25 currently live on the campus and the city said it will provide more information about their situation later. The proposal follows earlier reporting that 25 students had to move after the cooperative said it could not pay heating bills.