Student association SSR-W during an AID. Photo Anna den Hartog The large student associations need not lower their budgets; there are sufficient FOS funds (financial support for students) for everyone now that a few clubs claiming funding have been discontinued.
There were concerns among larger student associations in Wageningen following a proposal to redistribute the budget for financial support for students. That proposal was launched by the Student Service Center, wishing to facilitate a broader range of student associations. The funding was to be made possible by cutting back on the budgets of large associations. However, since several of the clubs that claimed part of the funds have since been dissolved, the large associations will retain their budgets.
Steg Snelders of the student board party VeSte explains: ‘The plans to alter the FOS guidelines were intended to make the range of student clubs more diverse and inclusive. We, as VeSte, support that as we represent all active student associations. We disagreed with how the plans were to be funded, which was through cutting back on the funding of larger associations.’
Snelders states that both large and small associations would experience issues under the proposed reallocation. ‘Once you reduce the funding of larger organisations, fewer people will be available to serve on committees, while it is precisely such committees that are responsible for making rooms available for smaller associations who lack their own housing. If this robs smaller associations of room in the properties of large associations, problems arise. If they are forced to rent spaces in the city, this will dramatically increase their spending, leaving less money for organising activities.’
Space
Because several clubs receiving FOS funding have been discontinued (Aiesec Wageningen, for example), sufficient room was found within the FOS budget, Snelders clarifies. ‘The executive board could have chosen to reduce the FOS budget, particularly in view of tough times ahead, but they have not done so. We are delighted with this decision.’
