What will the SSAF be used for? - myAdvisor: Online help for UQ Students, The University of Queensland

The University of Queensland continues to maintain its commitment to supporting and enhancing the university experience for students through the provision of a full and rich array of services. The abolition of compulsory student union fees in 2006 had a significant detrimental effect on the financial resources of the UQ Union and UQ Sport organisations which are integral to the provision of these services.

To help address the loss of income, the University has made interim grants each year to UQ Union and UQ Sport to assist with the provision of their services to students. The grants in 2011 totalled just under $2,000,000. The University also provides many frontline, non-academic services to students including health services, counselling, careers advice, accommodation services, multi-faith services, etc. at a cost of $4,500,000 per year.

The University and UQ Union have been working together for several years in preparation for the introduction of the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF). A formal Services and Funding Agreement between the University and UQ Union was agreed in 2009 to give UQ Union long term funding certainty and address the potential Student Services and Amenities Fee legislation. Funds provided under the agreement can only be used for services as defined in the Higher Education Legislation Amendment (Student Services and Amenities) Bill 2010. The agreement anticipated that the introduction of the SSAF would replace and enhance the interim grants provided by the University. Operating and Governing committees comprising UQ Union and University representatives were established to oversee funding requests and the provision of student services.

The Government is committed to ensuring the consultation universities undertake with students is genuine, and that students have a proper say in how the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee is spent. Under the Student Services, Amenities, Representation and Advocacy Guidelines, universities are required to have a formal process of consultation with democratically elected student representatives from major student organisations at the University regarding the specific uses of proceeds from the compulsory SSAF. The University has had this mechanism in place for some time with the Services and Funding Operating and Governing committees. The UQ Union and UQ Sport 2012 budgets have been prepared and agreed with the SSAF being taken into account. The use of the SSAF over and above the 2012 funding (grant replacement) to UQ Union and UQ Sport has yet to be decided, but will be done so in a consultative process between student representatives and the University.