Do society federation fees equal fair funding?
Written by Elena De Sacco
It is now compulsory for students to pay a federation fee of 5 pound when wanting to join a society, but is this really the way student clubs and societies should operate?
If you are looking to meet new people while at university, becoming a member of a society seems to be a good way to go. You know that people will probably share your interests, and it can be one of the most important parts of the student experience. However, not societies, but rather the student union, are asking to pay a federation fee of around 5 pounds when first joining. The questions are whether it is justified to make the membership of a society something you have to pay for, and what the student union offers in return.

Realistically, paying a fiver once for joining a society is not an amount that will result in members feeling the need to beg for food, however, even the most sensible person will cling on to every single fiver at one point during his or her student life.
The federation fee is intended to make societies eligible to apply for a grant, so that they can undertake further developments and organise bigger events, which will consequently help attracting more members, so it seems like one hand really does wash the other.
However, I have to admit that I myself, for a while, forgot (or possibly repressed) paying the fee as it does not stop you from being a member of your chosen society or attending meetings , but eventually my conscience caught up with me. This issue is certainly a very important and critical one, but were societies to operate without the support of a grant, many events such as the Jammin’ Society could not have been put into effect and the existence of societies would dangle on a much thinner string.

One could suggest that if the Student Union would actively let (aspiring) members know what their money is being used for, and how it will benefit the whole university community, a lot more people would be willing to pay the federation fee, although it might be possible to find sponsors, such as local businesses, who are willing to found a society in return for advertising space and opportunities. This would also give student societies more business experience and present itself as potential networking possibilities for students.

Nevertheless, student societies should be free and serve as an opportunity to make friends and find new interests, so maybe the challenge lies in finding new ways to sponsor student organisations. In the end, students have to decide individually whether or not they see it as acceptable to pay for joining a society and the willingness to pay should consequentially reflect their enthusiasm, but federation fees will very likely remain a problem that needs to be continuously debated and discussed.