Student Union Membership is free for 2012?

[VivaTequila]

Source: http://union.unimelb.edu.au/union-you/student-union-membership-in-2012

Or is this something else?

And what does it give you access to anyway?

[yearningforsimplicity]

Apparently we have to pay a Students services and amenities fee or something this year (which is around ~260 dollars or somethingg) so that's why union membership is free for all students this year I'm guessing

[jasrulz63]

It can be deferred under SA-HELP, same as HECS-HELP, but for the students services and amenities fee.

[Edmund]

Wow that's annoying... So expensive

[Edmund]

Oh phew... exempted from the Services Fee. Otherwise I'll be broke LOL

http://studentadmin-unimelb.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/studentadmin_unimelb.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=5570&p_created=1326152584&p_sid=Pquz-kQk&p_accessibility=0&p_redirect=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD0xMSwxMSZwX3Byb2RzPSZwX2NhdHM9MTkyLDEyODAmcF9wdj0mcF9jdj0yLjEyODAmcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9mbmwmcF9wYWdlPTE*&p_li=&p_topview=1

[jinny1]

So last year i couldve just paid $100 for union membership but this year i have to pay $263??? :O

[Gloamglozer]

So last year i couldve just paid $100 for union membership but this year i have to pay $263??? :O

Pretty much yes.  One the casualties of the government's higher education reforms, if you want to think of it that way.

[VivaTequila]

..............

How do we pay it/defer it?

[jasrulz63]

SSAF FAQ

[slothpomba]

The legislation that brought this fee into being does not make it compulsory to be a member of a union.

 The university technically doesn't have to give any to the union. Monash' student union got a very small slice of it but our membership fees have dropped. Might want to double check it being totally free though..

[linle]

This is annoying and creating it more complex. I liked it the old way.

[VivaTequila]

So wait, I still don't know what this membership is getting me...

Can anyone fill me in on wtf I'm getting out of paying all this extra compulsory money?

[Gloamglozer]

So wait, I still don't know what this membership is getting me...

Can anyone fill me in on wtf I'm getting out of paying all this extra compulsory money?

At UoM:

http://union.unimelb.edu.au/union-you

This also includes Advocacy, which is handy if you're summoned to an Academic Progress Committee for unsatisfactory progress and also handy if you've been alleged with plagiarism.