Former CUSU president Amatey Doku argued that NUS offered net benefitsLouis Ashworth

by Louis Ashworth Follow Louis Ashworth on Twitter

This article is 7 years old

The National Union of Student’s (NUS) decision to charge CUSU just £250 so far this year is the latest twist in a long-running saga of major swings in Cambridge’s affiliation fees to the national body.

It appears that NUS is charging its hardship fee – reserved for small student unions, or those experiencing substantial financial issues – rather than the £10,527 CUSU had expected to pay.

Explained Why is CUSU in such financial difficulties?

The student union is currently suffering substantial losses following the collapse of a publishing contract. CUSU had previously had deals with St. James’s House (SJH), which produced publications including a series of careers guides. CUSU has been attempting to move away from the contract, on which they claimed SJH had been slow to deliver – a claim they later attempted to backpedal on.

Without the SJH income, and following the collapse in years past of its nightlife enterprise, the student union has been shorn of its two major revenue streams. It has already suffered substantial losses to its reserve funds, likely in the region of hundreds of thousands of pounds, and received a bailout from the University in 2015.

Until it can figure out new ways to make money, the student union is being forced to make cuts to services. It can also go to the University itself for more funding, but central administration has criticised the student union before for a lack of clear objectives, and any increased reliance on Cambridge’s money damages CUSU’s ability to credibly act independently of the University.

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Two years ago, when Cambridge students narrowly voted to remain affiliated to NUS after a heated debate and referendum, the low affiliation fee CUSU paid had formed a major part of arguments made by those who said Cambridge should remain associated.

Last year, after having budgeted for the expected £250 fee, CUSU revealed it had been charged £5,765, which provoked an outcry in some anti-NUS quarters. CUSU’s general manager Mark McCormack said in comments revealed at the time that he had attempted to negotiate a reduction, but had been unsuccessful.

As it prepared its annual budget presentation, the student union was forced to acknowledge not only its own substantial overall losses, but that the NUS fee would shoot up again. Despite this, CUSU argued that the affiliation offered value for money overall.

Re-affiliation was strongly approved once again during Council last Easter, the statutory annual vote on NUS affiliation having previously been postponed amid concerns regarding the fee increase.

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Analysis: CUSU finances remain strained, despite hints of improvement

As events have unfolded, that charge did not materialise, and appears to have slightly softened the blow CUSU had anticipated this year.

Whether CUSU can count on the fee never being charged is questionable, however: NUS did not reply to Varsity’s questions this week about why the discount had apparently been applied and, given the fluctuations seen in recent years, may change its mind again.

The discount is only a small dent in the losses CUSU is expecting. A cash injection the student union is anticipating from the central notwithstanding, its losses have been reduced only from £75,000 to £70,000 – if the NUS fee goes up again, losses could even be worse than expected.

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