Membership - How much should you charge?
Annual memberships to a club or society last for one academic year and expire on July 31st. Exceptions to this include semester only memberships which expire at relevant points in the academic year.
We understand why some societies might want to make their membership free, but we'd advise having at least a small charge for joining your group as not only will that help build your funds, but it will also make it less likely that you'll attract students who join for the sake of it then don't get involved.
Here are some things you should consider when setting your membership fee:
- What is the aim of your society?
- What do students get for their money?
- What will the money be spent on?
- Will you have different types of memberships?
As of 2025-26 memberships will be set at the start of the academic year during reaffiliation. We will not be making any amends or changes to these during the year so please ensure you budget for these accurately and include all memberships you expect to have e.g. don't just request a semester 1 membership as you will also need a semester 2 one!
If you are a successful new society start up then you will be asked to set your membership fee during this process. Again changes to these will not be permitted during the academic year.
We have created a handy budget guide and template to help set your membership fees and to avoid running out of money during the year.