Meaningful Membership – Why do we pay the student union fee?

Autumn is here, campus is filling with students again, and for ÅAS the same questions arise year after year: What exactly is the student union? What do we do? And why do we pay the student union fee? 

Student unions around the country have long tried to formulate concrete answers to these questions. The simple, but broader answer is, that the student union exists to improve students’ everyday life and to carry their voice forward. More formally, the student union is a so-called public-law association; a legal definition for an organisation established for the public good. 

We are included in Finland’s Universities Act, which clearly states that every university must have a student union. This bureaucratic explanation may tell you why we exist but still does not clarify what the student union means for you as a student. Behind the complicated definition lies something simple, which all student unions want to emphasize:

We are an organisation by students, for students! 

At ÅAS, the student union consists mainly of an executive board and a student council, both elected by students and both tasked with working for the best interests of students, together with employed staff. But the work of the student union is made possible by you, the members. When you pay the student union fee with the enrolment fee, you, together with about 5500 other students at Åbo Akademi, make the student union’s work possible. That is why we like to say that students are our bosses. You have the power to influence what the student union does and which direction we take – much more than you might think. 

So, what kind of work do we do, and where can you influence it?

To answer these common questions more clearly, and to show what you as a student get for the student union fee, ÅAS is launching a campaign this September called “Meaningful Membership”. Throughout the month, a video series will be shared on our Instagram, explaining more about the student union’s work, the benefits of being a member, and how you can use your voice to make a difference. 

So, if I ask again, why does the student union exist?

The answer is simple: for you! Through your membership, you gain both practical advantages and a stronger voice in the issues that shape your everyday life as a student. Want to know more? Follow along on Instagram in September and see what really makes your student union membership meaningful!

Svea Välimäki
Vice Chair
The Student Union of ÅAU