Relief for students as sport and society joining fees reduced for new academic year

Warwick Students’ Union (SU) have announced that joining fees for sports clubs and societies will be reduced for the 2024/25 academic year, following approval by the SU Board of Trustees.

The Sports Federation joining fee will be reduced by 25% from £32 to £24, while the Societies Federation fee will see a 20% cut. 

The reduction in fees comes amid ongoing debates around the continued impact of the cost-of-living crisis on students, with 9,500 students currently holding society membership at the University. Issues have also been raised around inclusivity and accessibility of sports for students, with the reduction of fees aiming to increase student access to sports clubs.

Warwick still has the highest society membership fee in the country – standing at £16 for undergraduates

However, with only a partial reduction to fees, Warwick still has the highest society membership fee in the country – standing at £16 for undergraduates. Cardiff University, which has the second highest joining fee, charges £8 – half the price of Warwick – for membership to its Guild of Societies.

Costs also remain high for joining a sports club at Warwick. Despite the reduction in Sports Federation fees, the cost for a Warwick Sport Club Pass, which gives access to sport facilities for clubs, is set to increase for the upcoming academic year.

The cost of an on-campus Warwick Sport Club Pass will increase by £2, from £69.50 to £71.50. This means that the ‘real-term’ cost reduction of joining an on-campus sports club will be £6, rather than £8, with students set to pay £101.50 to join one on-campus sports club. 

The SU Board of Trustees have agreed to reassess the situation surrounding fees in the future, with a hope to eventually scrap fees completely. 

This [decision] will hopefully make societies more accessible and affordable for more students next year

Max Pike, outgoing SU Vice-President for Societies

The Board of Trustees added that completely removing fees for the upcoming academic year would have had a potentially ‘detrimental impact’ on other SU services, and would have resulted in cuts to grant money available to societies.

Max Pike, outgoing SU Vice-President for Societies, has welcomed the SU’s decision to cut society joining fees. He told The Boar that: “I’m absolutely overjoyed that the Board has decided to accept my bid for a further reduction of 20% in the Societies Federation fee for all students.

“It’s existed for far too long [20 years] and I’m glad we’re going in the right direction to hopefully eliminate it someday. Of course, I’d like to see it reduced faster but this is a good step […]. This will hopefully make societies more accessible and affordable for more students next year.”

My hope is that Warwick Sport and other University departments follow suit to increase the accessibility of sport at Warwick

Emma Birch, outgoing SU Vice-President for Sports

The move has also been celebrated by Emma Birch, outgoing SU Vice-President for Sports, who told The Boar: “I am thrilled that the Sports Federation fee will be going down by 25%. This will be its first ever decrease, so I want to say a massive thank you to my fellow sabbatical officers and senior SU staff for helping me get this through.

“The SU is moving in a great direction for students by dropping both the Sports and Societies Federation fees. My hope is that Warwick Sport and other University departments follow suit to increase the accessibility of sport at Warwick.”

The reduction in fees for both the Sports and Societies Federation will take impact from 1 September, when new memberships for the 2024/25 academic year begin.

The SU have added that those who have purchased a multi-year Societies Federation membership will be eligible for partial reimbursement, with more details to be confirmed in the near future. 

Warwick Sport has been approached for comment regarding the increase in the price of the Warwick Sport Club Pass.