Student welfare organisation

Student Welfare Organisation (Template:Lang-no) is a legal entity responsible for the welfare of students of universities, university colleges, scientific universities and other colleges in Norway. The 25 organisations are regulated by the Student Welfare Organisation Act from 1996 and based on compulsory membership of all students attending the associated institutions.

Welfare offers are financed through a student fee, direct subsidies from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research as well as from the educational institutions through free or cheap facilities or real estate. The profit from the organisations commercial activities is channeled back to operation and investments in welfare activities. All organisations are led by a board compromising a majority and chairman elected from and by the students as well as representatives from the employees and the educational institutions. The board choose which services to provide to the students as well as setting the student fee, which typically is about NOK 400 per semester. The organisations must report to the Ministry as well as the Office of the Auditor General of Norway.

Among the responsibilities of the organisations are operations of campus book stores and cafés, of which the organisations have a monopoly to operate on campus. Other services include certain health services, advisory services, kindergartens and housing.

List of student welfare organisations in Norway

• Student Welfare Organisation in Agder (SiA)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Bergen (SiB)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Bodø (SSiB)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Buskerud (SiBu)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Finnmark (SiF)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Harstad (SiHa)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Hedmark (SiH)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Indre Finnmark (SSO)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Narvik (SSiN)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Nesna (SiNe)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Nord-Trøndelag (SiNoT)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Oppland (SOPP)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Oslo (SiO)
• Oslo and Akershus University Colleges Student Welfare Organisation (OAS)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Romsdal og Nordmøre (SIRN)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Sogn og Fjordane (SISOF)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Stavanger (SiS)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Stord/Haugesund (SSH)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Sunnmøre (SfS)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Telemark (SiTel)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Tronsmø (SiTø)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Trondheim (SiT)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Vestfold (SiV)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Østfold (SiØ)
• Student Welfare Organisation in Ås (SiÅs)