What is association status?

Having association status means that from TREY’s perspective, the activity of the association is significant enough for us students that the student union wants to support it.

An association that has been granted the association status is entitled to all of the association services provided by the student union: annual operational grants, project grants, training, use of conference rooms and group working rooms, counselling services and different rental items. If possible, the student union will also grant facilities for the associations.

Associations that have been granted association status have plenty of possibilities to influence. Subject and faculty and umbrella associations are heard when student representatives are nominated for the university’s administrative bodies and tutoring is organised together between associations, the university and the student union. The associations can also file a motion to TREY’s board and council.

One of the responsibilities of an association with association status is the annual association announcement, which can be delivered together with the application for an operational grant. If the association’s rules change, the new rules must be delivered to the association sector.

Associations are divided into four categories: subject associations with student intake, other associations, faculty and umbrella associations and hobby associations.

You can read more about the association status and the differences between the categories from TREY’s Association Standing Order, which can be found on the Steering documents -page.

How can I apply for association status?

The association status is applied from TREY’s board, and they decide about granting the status. The application of the association status is done through an electronic Microsoft Forms formulary.

The application must include the association’s operative rules and the latest verified action plan as an appendix.

The association status application is open all year long, and TREY’s board will process the application within a month after it has been sent. If there are many subject or faculty and umbrella associations that serve the same purpose, only one of them can be granted association status.

What is required for the association status?

The association status can be granted with an application for a registered or unregistered association whose activity unites members of the student union. The association’s purpose or activity cannot contradict the student union’s purpose and activity. The majority of the association’s members who are eligible to vote must also be members of TREY. This criterion can be deviated from with the decision of TREY’s board, if they deem that the association’s activity supports TREY’s activities adequately. If the association does not have human members, it is required that every member association eligible to vote has also been granted the student union’s association status.

Other requirements:

  • the association’s rules must manifest all the requirements for rules that the Association Standing Order has set
  • the board of the association must keep a statutory membership register, where student union membership is also indicated
  • the association’s bookkeeping practices comply with the requirements of the Accounting Act and the Association Standing Order

Can the association status be forfeited? Can it be resigned?

The association status can be rejected from an association if one of the following conditions apply:

  • the association neglects the obligations set for it in the Association Standing Order
  • the criteria for association status are not met any longer
  • the association deliberately gives false information when applying for a grant
  • the association does not submit the association announcement by the deadline two years in a row
  • the association breaks the law or clearly and continuously goes against the student union’s purpose, values or rules

The board of the student union decides on the rejection after hearing the association.

The association can resign their association status by informing about it in writing to the student union board.