The government is threatening to cut student union funding by 30 percent starting January 1, 2026. It is a betrayal by the Liberals that will have serious consequences for the student movement.
When the M+C+L+Kd government decided to abolish the compulsory union system in 2010, compensation was promised for the student unions to fulfill their core mission: to monitor and participate in the development of education and the conditions for studies. However, the compensation has always been too low and further cuts will have serious consequences for the student movement.
It is in the interest of both students and universities that student influence works. Now the government must rethink and strengthen state funding for student unions.
Background
In connection with the government, led by the then Minister of Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz (Liberals), abolishing the compulsory student union, a government grant was introduced for student unions. The grant was intended as compensation for the reduced income that resulted from fewer students joining the union and paying membership fees. With a grant, student unions would be able to continue to conduct the activities required by the Higher Education Act, the Higher Education Ordinance and the Student Union Ordinance, among other things.
The government investigation which formed the basis for the abolition of the compulsory union membership, proposed that student unions would receive a grant of SEK 310 per full-year student to cover the reduced income (equivalent to SEK 400 in 2024 monetary value). In practice, the support introduced amounted to just under SEK 100 per student (equivalent to SEK 120 in 2024 monetary value), i.e. less than a third of the inquiry's proposal.
The state grant to student unions is included in the state budget's expenditure area 16, appropriation item 2:67. It is paid to each higher education institution in the form of support for student influence. It is then the task of the higher education institutions to distribute the money to the student unions.
The allocation to student unions is too low
The University Chancellor's Office followed up in 2017 In the 2010 student union reform, the authority found that student unions are underfunded, that different student unions have very different conditions, and that many unions are in a position of dependence on their universities. UKÄ said that “the most important measure is to finance student influence more fully and in a more equal way”. The University Chancellor’s Office recommends tripling or quadrupling the state grant to student unions. This would correspond to between 300 and 400 kronor per full-time student. SFS shares the picture that UKÄ came up with.
Ahead of the 2021 budget year, the government (the Social Democrats and the Green Party, supported by the Liberals and the Center Party) decided to increase the state grant from SEK 34,8 million to SEK 60 million. Of this, five million SEK was for the extra work that the student unions contributed during the corona pandemic. During the years 2022 to 2024, the grant has remained constant at SEK 55 million, which corresponds to approximately SEK 170 per student.
The fact that the state grant does not cover the full costs of the student unions' activities makes it more difficult for them to carry out their mission. When there are no resources to pay fees and salaries, fewer people work on the activities. It then becomes difficult to have time to participate, influence and review the activities to the extent that is desirable. It also becomes very difficult to have time for other important tasks that the student unions are supposed to work on, such as work environment work or study social activities.
Threat of a sharp decline in 2026
In the government's budget bill for 2024, the government also presented forecasts for 2025 and 2026. These forecasts show that the government expects to reduce the state grant to student unions from SEK 55 million to SEK 35 million from 2026. A reduction of SEK 20 million is barely noticeable in the state budget but has enormous consequences for student unions.
Converted to constant prices, this would mean that the allocation per student would be lower than ever: from 170 SEK in 2024 to approximately 110 SEK two years later.
SFS believes that the planned reduction in government funding will make it very difficult for student unions to carry out their mission. SFS further believes that it would be a betrayal of the promise to compensate for the unions' reduced membership income when the union obligation was abolished.
Several parties are critical – but the government is delaying
All opposition parties have spoken out against the reduction. But the ball is in the government's court. The decisive decision will be made in September 2025 when the government presents its budget proposal for 2026.
Our message to the government is clear: Don't let down the student unions. Strengthen the funding of student influence.