Society's economy is discussed more and more. There is probably not a news broadcast on TV or radio without it being mentioned. The question causes SFS vice-president Jacob to reflect on the student unions' finances, which is also one of SFS's priority issues during the financial year. What does it look like and what can student union representatives expect in the future?
For the student union movement, the year 2010 is a year that has not been forgotten and it evokes strong feelings for those of us involved, even if we were not active then. 2010 was the year when the compulsory union was removed. The union obligation was a regulation that required all students at Swedish higher education institutions to be members of a student union and pay an annual fee to the unions. The question of its abolition had been brought up several times and the tours around it have been extensive. When it was abolished in 2010, it meant that it was no longer compulsory for students to be members of a student union and pay the fee. The decision swept away the carpet for the student union movement. Despite that, the student unions have continued to exist and work to represent the students at the country's universities. One thing that is certain is that the abolition of the union obligation has in an extraordinary way affected the unions' financial resources and opportunities to run their business. Let me tell you why.
Six years after the compulsory union had been abolished, the government tasked the University Chancellor's Office (UKÄ) with monitoring the conditions for student influence. In the government decision, it was stated that "Questions about the unions' equal conditions and their conditions to independently carry out a meaningful student influence must be given special attention." and that resulted in the report Student influence - Mapping and analysis of the conditions for student influence after the abolition of the compulsory union which was published in 2017. The report offers interesting reading and I always recommend it to student union colleagues.
What did UKÄ's report conclude? To begin with, the report showed that the majority of student unions receive their main income through the institution of higher education, including the state grant for student influence paid to unions through the institution of higher education. Only two student unions indicated that membership fees were their main source of income. This shows the incredible impact the 2010 reform had on student unions, which resulted in the total membership of the country's student unions going from a total of 330 to around 000. It is hard to imagine the scale of that and the demands that must have been placed on the elected officials the students in the student unions who were tasked with restructuring the student union's finances and probably also the operations.
The government grant is paid out for work with student influence. It goes from the state budget on to the Kammarkollegiet, which in turn passes the state grant on to the universities. The educational institutions can later decide whether they wish to supplement the state grant to the student unions with their own funds. According to UKÄ's report, this is done by almost all universities. 97 percent of the higher education institutions provide general financial support to the student unions or other types of support, such as providing premises. In the report, UKÄ asked the student unions to answer the question whether they considered the state subsidy to support student influence to be reasonable in terms of its scope. A full 76 percent of all student unions answered that they did not think it was reasonable in its scope. UKÄ later had a follow-up question to the student unions that asked how large the state contribution would be in order for it to be at a reasonable level. The median value of the answers from the student unions to that question was SEK 300 per full-year student. When the report was written, compensation per full-year student was approximately SEK 110. This means that the student unions requested an increase of 173 percent.
Was it reasonable for the student unions to answer that the desired compensation per full-year student would be SEK 300 per full-year student? Was it reasonable to ask for 173 percent more? It was probably a reasonable request. In the inquiry into the abolition of the compulsory union, Freedom for students (SOU 2008: 11), it was stated that SEK 310 per full-year student was a good starting point for the state grant. According to the investigation, such an economic model based on the 2006 number of students would cost the state budget SEK 95 million and that it would be paid for by cutting 1100 education places. In the government's bill, Freedom and influence - the abolition of compulsory union membership Bill 2008/09:154, however, the proposal was rejected and it was announced that only 30 million would be spent on the state grant for student unions, which is less than a third of the inquiry's proposal.
In the light of these statistics, it is impressive that the student unions have been able to continue with their activities, but at the same time sad that the system is not dimensioned according to the needs. When it comes to restructuring, the student unions have probably outdone themselves, but it unfortunately comes with negative consequences. There are continuous stories of student union activists who burn out due to the demands of the assignment. An objection to the student unions' financial concerns could be that the student unions would instead have to review their activities and set priorities. On the other hand, there has already been a major general overhaul in the student union movement and their representatives had a lot of trouble dealing with the dramatic change that took place in 2010. When I meet student union representatives, I meet individuals and organizations that absolutely try to have a responsible economy. They run a professional business where the members' common funds are carefully managed. They have studied their organizational self-image, turned over all the stones and tried to find creative solutions. The student unions have already evaluated, adjusted and taken their responsibilities.
What consequences has the financing model had? One consequence has been that it limits the student unions' ability to have an organization that can carry out student influence, implement projects and events that benefit the students. This may mean that the student unions cannot offer enough support and resources for the students or that they cannot pursue student political issues in the same way as they would like. Another consequence concerns the issue of dependency.
Several student unions have indicated to SFS, but also in the free text answers in UKÄ's report, that the low level of the state subsidy means that a large part of the student unions' time and resources is devoted to finding other sources of income. For example, it could be extensive sponsorship contracts with companies and contract negotiations with the universities to get more resources. A student union emphasizes in UKÄ's report that their business would not have been successful if it were not for income from business. There is of course a place for activities other than student influence within the student unions. It is positive and creates great benefit for the students, the university and society. However, the question must be raised - isn't it absurd that Sweden has a system that emphasizes that the student unions must focus on student influence, but at the same time demands that the focus be placed on something other than student influence in order to get the business going?
In addition to that, the system also creates a position of dependence on both external parties and also the universities. The student unions must enjoy autonomy for their activities and be able to exercise independent student influence. However, this can be challenging when the student body is dependent on funding from the university. Several student unions express concern about this in UKÄ's report and believe that the grants they now receive from the universities create a position of dependency and that the state grant should be increased to a degree that is sufficient to avoid this situation. In the report, almost a quarter of all surveyed student unions answer that they believe that the concluded agreements or agreements with the university regarding funding affect the union's ability to exercise student influence independently.
What happened next? Despite extensive calls to prioritize the issue, the student union movement was not reached by any major news on this topic until 2020. With the 2020 budget bill, the then government and the partner parties decided to increase the state subsidy to the student unions by 65 percent, from SEK 106 to approximately SEK 175 per student . The government then announced that the increase was only temporary and would be evaluated later and that an assessment of its continuation would be made after that. This was incredibly welcome news for SFS and all student unions. Although it did not match the increase that UKÄ and SFS had previously proposed, it was still a significant improvement and many student union representatives around the country were happy to have a temporary improvement in their financial situation. Even greater joy came in connection with the budget bill 2023. Then the government announced that the state grant for student influence would be proposed to remain at an unchanged level for the years 2023-2025.
It is fantastic that society prioritizes student unions. This naturally leads to the question of what the student unions do and what value does it have? The student unions have a long history in Sweden and over the years the activities that the student unions carry out have varied greatly. Today, student unions are an important part of student life in Sweden and in the higher education sector. According to the Higher Education Act, the main purpose of student unions is to monitor and participate in the development of education and the conditions for studies at the higher education institution. It is of great importance that the students have student unions where there can be a collective approach to contributing to developing the education, bringing forward the students' perspective and discussing the students' priority issues.
In Sweden, the universities have a collegial way of life where strong autonomy is advocated. This also means that all actors within the institution are expected to participate and contribute to the development of the business. In such an environment, it is beneficial and essential that the students can organize themselves in a collective way through their student union. The student unions often carry out advanced educational policy work. They can bring forward the students' voices and demands, such as better study places, more support and resources for students, improved student health or more resources for research and education.
The student unions also play a big role in the students' well-being and experiences. The student unions work to improve the students' quality of life by offering various services and events. For example, they can offer support and advice for students, organize festivities and social events, publish newspapers, or offer study environments such as libraries and study rooms.
The student unions are often hosts and organizers for the reception of new students, which I believe is an invaluable activity. With the receptions, students get the opportunity to learn about what it's like to be a student, find communities and learn from students who have already studied for a period. I am convinced that the activities of the student unions are crucial for the students above all, but also the universities and the rest of society.
Therefore, SFS believes that a functioning student influence requires democratically governed student unions that are organizationally independent vis-à-vis the university, the government and society in general. I and SFS also believe that the financial independence of student unions should be guaranteed to the greatest extent possible. Since a well-functioning student influence is an important matter for the whole society as a co-actor within the academy, it is of particular importance that all student unions are given the opportunity for knowledge development, regardless of the individual conditions each individual student union has. This should be done at both local and national level. All of this presupposes good financial conditions for the student unions.
If we look ahead, there are also new challenges for the student unions on the horizon. I am thinking about the adjustment study support and what implications it has. With the transition study support, the higher education sector can expect an influx of students who are older than average age, working or recently working and who are not naturally interested in the student unions' study social activities on campus. The student unions must represent all students for whom they have been granted student union status, regardless of the circumstances. With a drastically changed student population, student unions will once again have to adjust to meet new challenges. I have great confidence in the student unions' ability to do so, but at the same time see that it can be tough, especially when no resources are added from the state.
During the 2022/23 financial year, SFS has worked on the question of the status and funding of the student unions. It has been one of SFS's priority issues following a decision at the SFS's full council meeting in 2022. We have presented the problem in meetings with decision-makers in politics. The issue has, among other things, been raised in conversations with Minister of Education Anna Ekström (S) and Mats Persson (L) and other representatives from the government office. In the future, I hope that the student unions' activities and finances are prioritized by the government and politics. The state grant of SEK 55 million to the student unions is a relatively small part of the enormous state budget of around SEK 1200 billion. I have seen what the activities of student unions can do for students, for higher education and for society. It's an incredibly powerful investment that returns a lot. My call to politics is therefore to believe in the student unions and a future with student influence!