Membership

Get to know our members and services on these pages!

Services for OLL members

• Expert support in everyday life: We help members succeed in their own work and develop it. By increasing the flexibility of everyday life, we help them focus their own resources on what is essential.
• Information production: We offer members up-to-date information and materials to support the development of their activities.
• Support for competitive sports: We create opportunities for students to practice sports and compete with a goal or for their own pleasure.
• Advocacy work: We carry out advocacy work on behalf of our members to guarantee the status and funding of university sports and other conditions for a University on the Move.

The image below shows the federation's selection of member services.

Frequently asked questions about OLL membership

What practical benefits does the membership offer student unions? What is included in the membership fee?

1. Student unions can make their voices heard in the Federation’s national and international advocacy work.
2. Student unions gain access to member workshops and events and receive support for their local advocacy work and services that has been tailored to their needs: e.g. member-specific training, sparring for advocacy projects, and expert support for issues arising in their work.
3. Student unions get access to the sports advisor network and events.
4. Student unions get more affordable entry fees to Finnish Student Championships for its members, as well as priority and support for organising competitions.
5. Student unions get the right to make proposals and vote at OLL’s General Assembly. (Student unions hold a majority of the votes, and only students can be elected as President or Vice-President.)
6. Through OLL, student unions gain representatives in both the Finnish Olympic Committee and the international umbrella organisations of university sports (EUSA, FISU) and access to any member benefits of these organisations.
7. Student unions get access to OLL’s member benefits for event organisers (accident insurance, music licensing agreement) and other benefits from our partners.

How does OLL membership support the mission of the university?

OLL’s services help universities to create exercise services, an active culture and opportunities to play sports that support students’ ability to study, help them progress in their studies, and promote graduation in line with targets. This also directly impacts the university’s funding. A reputation as a physically active and sporty university is also attractive, and OLL membership strengthens this reputation significantly.

What practical benefits does the membership offer universities? What is included in the membership fee?

1. The universities get access to member workshops and events, as well as support in promoting physical activity and sports among students that has been tailored to each university’s needs. This includes member-specific training e.g. for teaching staff, scorecard user support and project support services. (Some of these services will be created within the new membership model, some are existing services which will be more clearly aimed at members only.)
2. University staff will get support related to daily exercise from OLL’s advisors. For more than a hundred years, the Federation has been the only organisation in Finland focused on physical activity among university students.
3. The universities get free access to the university sports services network meetings.
4. The students at member universities get the right to participate in international university sporting events (European Championships, World Cups) and extensive practical support at these.
5. The universities receive expert support in creating a top athlete-friendly culture that supports athletes’ dual careers.
6. The universities get the right to make proposals and vote at OLL’s General Assembly. University representatives can also be elected as board members.
7. Through OLL, member universities gain representation in both the Finnish Olympic Committee and the international umbrella organisations of university sports (EUSA, FISU) and access to any member benefits of these organisations. Member universities can join EUSA (European University Sports Association) as Associated Members.

We are still looking into the option to offer event organiser benefits and other benefits offered by our partners to university members.

Why should both the university and the student union join OLL?

When it comes to promoting physical activity among students and an active culture in the university community, the ideal situation is one where both the student union and the university are members of OLL. The memberships do not overlap – instead they complement each other. University staff take part in OLL’s member activities within the framework of the university membership, while representatives of university organisations participate through the student union membership.

How much is the OLL membership fee and how is it expected to change?

The 2025 membership fees are

• 0.6 euros/student member for student unions and
• 0.2 euros/attending student for universities.

In the first year of membership, the member will only pay for the remaining months of that year. Student union members will receive one-time compensation for a share of the university’s membership fee for the first year.

Student unions notify OLL of their number of members every year. The number of attending students at the universities will be verified at the end of each year through the statistics service of the Finnish National Agency for Education.

The aim of the membership model reform is to reduce the membership fee for student unions as soon as possible when the universities fund the work of OLL through their fees.

What will happen to the supporting membership?

We want the universities who are currently supporting members to become ordinary members. All member events taking place this year will be open to supporting members.

The benefits for supporting members (reduced cost to attend sports services network meetings, access to member events) will, however, end after 2025. For the time being, supporting memberships will not be removed from the constitution and these memberships will not be terminated. This means that for now, they will still have the right to make proposals and vote at the General Assembly.

Who has the right to participate in national and international sporting events going forward?

Going forward, only students from universities that are ordinary members of OLL can take part in European Student Championships and World Cups. At these events, athletes represent their university, so the related services will be moved from the student union membership to the university membership. We offer extensive competition services, from registration to communication with organisers, and even team management if required.

The transition period will go on until the end of 2026, so that only students from member universities can take part in single-sport European Championships in the summer of 2027. The Finnish Student Championships act as the primary qualifiers for the European Championships, with secondary athlete selection being carried out in collaboration with the national sporting associations.

In addition to changes to the membership model, this reform is also due to a long-term development where the student unions want the Federation to direct its resources primarily to promoting students’ physical activity and exercise, and secondly to sports.

The right to take part in World University Games and other student world championships will potentially be determined in the agreement between OLL and the Finnish Olympic Committee, which is currently being re-written. We want the membership to be useful in all top-level student sports.

When it comes to the Finnish Student Championships, the member benefits (lower entry fees, priority and support for arranging competitions) will remain with the student unions. The Finnish Student Championships are open to all, but students benefit from OLL membership.

What role will the university sports services play in the university membership?

During member recruitment and when a university becomes a member we will be in touch with the sports services to discuss the university’s current sports provision, things to improve and special characteristics. This will help us highlight the member services and expertise that is most useful to that specific university. The management at the university will also be interested in the sports services’ view on membership, so we have tried to communicate the benefits and impact of OLL membership particularly to the sports services.

Even after joining, the sports services will be OLL’s primary partner and in charge of the membership at many universities. The membership can also allow us to strengthen our collaboration e.g. with the teaching and project staff.

Is it possible to take part in Universities on the Move without OLL-membership?

The Universities on the Move network meetings, scorecard and data bank will remain open to all for the time being, but we will create added value within these services for our members. Alongside the network meetings, for example, we have created members-only workshops and webinars, and we help our members to make the most of the data that the scorecard provides.

How can we be sure that the OLL membership fee isn’t deducted from the sports service or student union funding?

OLL aims to agree with universities that the membership will not have a negative impact on the funding for student and sports services. Our message to the universities is that OLL membership does not replace the work of the sports services or student unions; on the contrary, it increases the university’s access to national expertise and services. Universities also have access to funding to increase physical activity and other kinds of wellbeing as part of the strategy funding agreed on with the Ministry of Education and Culture.

What is the EUSA associated membership which is included in the OLL university membership?

OLL’s member universities can also become Associated Members of the European University Sports Association EUSA. We will be in touch with universities who have submitted their membership application regarding this.

The free associated membership includes 1) membership in EUSA Universities Club, 2) reduced entry fees for EUSA competitions and other events (which is also included in the OLL membership) and 3) priority in the selection of organisers for European Championships and other events.

More information about associated membership can be found on the EUSA website.

How will the membership and OLL’s services be improved?

We will improve our services based on member feedback and in line with changes in our operating environment. Get in touch if you have any ideas for or feedback on our work!