how do student unions work?

[gemgem49]

Where do student unions (i.e. MSA at Monash) get their funds from?
I'm a part of Radio Monash and I know they receive funding from the MSA but where do the MSA get THEIR funding from? The university? Who gets it from the government?

[slothpomba]

I'm not even in uni but isnt there some kind of voluntary student union fee or something

[gemgem49]

Yeah but I know the MSA is insanely rich and I didn't think the voluntary fee of $55 or whatever would cover the amount of money they have.

[ninwa]

Savings from years of compulsory union fees?

[Eriny]

Some student unions get advertising money and sponsorship. Also, some universities do give money to the student union.

Is it also possible that Radio Monash might have an arts grant or something similar too?

[Glockmeister]

The MSA at the moments gets a lionshare of their funding from the University.

Other sources of funding include advertising, MSA Card fees etc.

[Gloamglozer]

The MSA at the moments gets a lionshare of their funding from the University.

Other sources of funding include advertising, MSA Card fees etc.

I'd imagine advertising would be a big one.

I know at UoM, in the magazine, they're advertising postgraduate programs from Monash...