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 fact that in 2010 the government under the leadership of the then Minister of Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz (Liberals) abolished the corps obligation, a state grant was introduced to the student unions. The grant was intended as a compensation for the reduced income that resulted from fewer students joining the corps and paying membership fees. With a grant, the student unions could continue to carry out the activities required by, among other things, the Higher Education Act, the Higher Education Ordinance and the Student Union Ordinance.
The state investigation which was the basis for the abolition of the union obligation, proposed that the 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 was 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 subsidy to the 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 funding for student unions is too low
The office of university chancellor in 2017 followed 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 dependent on their universities. UKÄ believed 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 the student unions. That would correspond to between 300 and 400 kroner per full-year student. SFS shares the image that UKÄ landed in.
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 subsidy does not cover the full costs of the student unions' activities makes it more difficult for them to carry out their assignment. When there are no resources to pay fees and salaries, fewer people work with the business. It will then be difficult to participate, influence and review the business to the extent that is desirable. It will also be very difficult to keep up with other important tasks that the student unions have to work with, such as work environment work or study social activities.
Threat of sharp reduction 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 fixed prices, this would mean that the grant per student will be lower than ever: from SEK 170 in 2024 to SEK 107 two years later.
SFS believes that the planned reduction of the state grant will make it very difficult for the student unions to carry out their mission. SFS further believes that it would be a betrayal of the promise to compensate for the union's 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.