Royal Holloway Students' Union

Getting involved in sports, societies, and media outlets at university can be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable parts of student life. However, the ongoing Cost of Living Crisis can make joining a student group financially challenging.

We understand that sometimes the standard membership for a student group cannot cover everything, and as a committee you may be having to ask your members to pay for additional expenses throughout the year. This can be for extras such as playing kit, transport costs, costumes, competitions, venue hire, or social events such as Christmas dinners.

These extra costs are known as ‘hidden costs’.

Hidden costs can be financially stressful for group members, especially if costs have increased in comparison to previous years, or for new members who are unaware of the additional expenses.

However, we understand it can be difficult for you as committee members to estimate exactly how much these costs will total to throughout the year. This can make communicating these hidden costs challenging.

As a result, we’ve compiled some ideas to support you in communicating hidden cost associated with your student group!

• Transparency: Listing the potential sources of hidden costs on your SU page can make members aware of any additional expenses they will have to anticipate. If you can estimate these costs, even better! For example, an approximate cost for a team top can help students budget for playing in competitive leagues.
• Promote the Access Fund: The Access Fund is available for students who are eager to engage with student groups but face financial barriers. It provides up to £200 in assistance to cover various expenses, including competition and event entry fees, essential travel costs, and even membership fees. Find out more about the Access Fund, and how you can promote it to your members.
• Membership differences: Communicating the differences in the memberships offered can help inform students which membership is best suited for them. For example, the difference between a core and social membership, or a social and competitive membership can help members avoid buying the wrong one, or having to buy twice.
• Opportunities to pay in timely instalments: Giving your members appropriate notice of upcoming expenses and offering the option to pay for large expenses in instalments and can alleviate the immediate financial demands of joining a student group.
• Reusing resources: Why not repurpose old resources for a more affordable option for your members? Whether that’s offering second-hand kit for members to borrow so they don’t have to buy their own, or recycling materials from previous projects to avoid unnecessary expenses for your student group. This is not only more sustainable, but can help with reducing your hidden costs throughout the year.

If you have any questions, or want further support in communicating the hidden costs of your student group, reach out to  Student Opportunities on Freshdesk. Alternatively, if you want more information on our Cost of Living Campaign, you can check out our page, or email Student Voice!