Mixed fortunes for club costs as society membership fees fall but sports fees increase again

Students’ Union (SU) society membership fees are set to fall again for Warwick students this year, but for those wanting to take part in on-campus sport, fees are set to climb to over £110.  

The Societies Federation membership fee, which allows students to join SU societies, is set to fall in price for the second year in a row from £16 to £12 for undergraduates. The fee for postgraduates will also be reduced to £6.

Meanwhile, those looking to join sports clubs which train on-campus will have to rake out even more money this year, as the cost of an On-campus Warwick Sports Club Pass – which gives members access to training facilities and developmental support – will increase from £71.50 to £82.

Those wishing to join on-campus clubs will be met with a £112 bill before even beginning to pay any additional fees, including for training, transport, and kit

While the SU has not increased the price of the Sports Federation membership this year, which is also required to join a sports club, it now means that those wishing to join on-campus clubs will be met with a £112 bill before even beginning to pay any additional fees, including for training, transport, and kit.

This price increase comes just months after an investigation by The Boar found that 91% of students think that the cost of a Sports Club Pass is too high, with joining fees often acting as a barrier to students being able to take part in sports at university.

Speaking to The Boar, a spokesperson for Team Warwick said that the increase in fees comes after sports club members said that off-campus clubs, such as Sailing and Riding, received disproportionate levels of value for money based on the fee paid by their members.

These clubs, for example, train off-campus and so do not access Warwick Sport training facilities which are covered by the Sports Pass fee.

Until the end of this year, the Off-campus Warwick Sports Club Pass cost £32, however this cost is set to fall to £22 from September – the lowest price since at least the 2019/20 academic year.

The reduction in the Society Federation fee will likely be more welcomed by students. However, Warwick’s fee remains as one of the highest in the country

A spokesperson for Team Warwick told The Boar: “Last year, the fee model for sport was re-assessed based on feedback from the Sports Forum, student clubs, and their members that the Off-Campus Club Pass benefit seemed disproportionate to the fee for clubs based on campus.”

They added that the additional revenue from the fee paid by on-campus sports club members will be used to fund an additional Club Development Officer role “to boost support for clubs”. Improvements to equipment storage areas and an increase to the Sports Officer Bursary will also be supported by the fee increase.

The reduction in the Society Federation fee will likely be more welcomed by students. However, Warwick’s fee remains as one of the highest in the country. Students at universities such as Birmingham, Liverpool, and Coventry are only required to pay to join individual societies, rather than having to pay a federation fee as well.

Students last year called the current fee “quite unjustifiable” in a survey carried out by The Boar, with over half of respondents (61%) saying that they found the joining fee too high.

Nevertheless, the SU Vice-President for Societies, Adam Skrzymowski, has hailed the reduction in fees as “fantastic” news for students, praising his predecessor Joe Stanley “for making this happen”.

We have been able to achieve this reduced cost without making any cuts to grants or funding, so we will continue to provide the maximum possible support to all our SU societies

Adam Skrzymowski, SU VP for Societies

Skrzymowski added: “Reducing this key cost is great news for students, as more people should now be able to enjoy all the benefits that come with taking part in SU societies. We have also been able to achieve this reduced cost without making any cuts to grants or funding, so we will continue to provide the maximum possible support to all our SU societies.”

Team Warwick, who represent sports clubs at the University, has also confirmed to The Boar that a broader review of sports funding and participation costs is already underway, with plans to consult all sports club presidents over the next year. Findings from the consultation are set to be “incorporated into new options in a year’s time”.

They added however that the new fee structure, which will be in place over the next year, was supported by sports club committee members, as well as by SU staff.

A spokesperson told The Boar: “The VP Sports, Louis Gosling, was consulted on the proposal, as were senior SU staff, Sports Forum, and a group of sports club presidents, and everyone was supportive of the change to further increase the support available to sports clubs.

Although the cost has risen for some, there is now more support available for students who find the cost of participating in sport a challenge

Team Warwick statement

“The intention is always to try and keep fees as low as possible for students engaging in sport whilst also delivering maximum value. Although the cost has risen for some, there is now more support available for students who find the cost of participating in sport a challenge.”

The new fees for both societies and sports clubs will take effect from 1 September, when new memberships for the 2025/26 academic year begin.