Student Services Levy

STUDENT SERVICES LEVY (SSL)

The Student Services Levy (SSL) is a compulsory fee that all students pay at UC. The UCSA receives a proportion of the levy to provide services to students. All of the SSL money that is collected is only used for the benefit of students.

The SSL fee is crucial as it helps fund services that support your student experience at UC, from wellbeing and support services to clubs, events, and advocacy.

The SSL ensures that all students have access to the resources, support, and experiences that make studying at UC more than just going to class. It’s about creating a vibrant, supportive, and inclusive student community.

STUDENT SERVICES LEVY ALLOCATION

Total SSL 2025 Budget Allocation

Total UCSA Portion of SSL 2025 Budget Allocation

Breakdown of UCSA SSL 2025 Allocation

HOW WE USE THE SSL TO SUPPORT YOUR STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT UC

ADVOCACY & WELFARE

A portion of the SSL that UCSA uses goes towards some of our UCSA Advocacy & Welfare services, including the Pathseekers and Help Volunteer programmes. These services are crucial for the wellbeing and student experience of UC students.

Welfare Services

  • Foodbank
  • Hardship Grant
  • Medical Prescription Grant
  • Budget Planning Service
  • Subsidised Dental Service
  • Menstruation Emergency Service
  • Administration of Mickle Fund Loan

    Advocacy Services

  • Complaints
  • Appeals
  • Review of Academic Progress
  • Misconduct
  • Special Considerations
  • Class Representation Support

    Student wellbeing events

  • Wellbeing expos (Summer Starter, Winter Wellness)
  • Coffee Party

EVENTS

The UCSA Events Team runs events that support the student experience for all students. We also have 4 equity portfolios and specific student representatives for these. These are:

  1. Postgraduate
  2. International
  3. Equity
  4. Pacific

Some examples of our UCSA events are:

  • Welcome & End of term BBQs
  • Exam breakfasts
  • Stress less study week (fruit drops and giveaways)
  • Tea Party
  • Orientation and Re-Orientation events
  • Postgrad lounge/cafe

INTERNATIONAL

UCSA International is an extension of our events and Advocacy/Welfare services that are aimed at our UC International Students. From cultural events to tailored support, a portion of the SSL helps fund these initiatives that ensure every international student feels welcomed, connected, and supported.

  • Christchurch Daycation
  • Immigration Advice Sessions
  • International Check-In events
  • International Quiz Night
  • International Welcome Events
  • Major International holiday recognition events (e.g. Lunar New Year, Holi etc.)

CLUBS

From sports and culture to music, UCSA’s 170+ clubs help create the colourful, vibrant campus experience UC is known for. A portion of the SSL helps support this epic club scene—so you can join, lead, and thrive in a community that feels like yours.

  • Clubs Day (Ori and Re Ori)
  • Club Exec Expo
  • Clubs Grant Programme

At the UCSA we value transparency and want to make sure that you, our students, have increased awareness about which activities/services at the UCSA are, or are not, funded by the student services levy.

We also have a rainbow logo to reflect the most up-to-date Pride flag. This better shares our commitment to allyship with the LGBTQI+ community, and our Rainbow students here at UC.

If you see these logos on any promotion of services, activities or events you can know that these are partially funded by the student services levy.

Have your say on the fee and how it’s used in the future

The UCSA consults with students and also gathers students' views in a range of ways:

  1. UCSA Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Half-AGM - students can submit matters of general business (e.g. questions about SSL funding, the use thereof etc.) to the UCSA.
  2. Annual Student Satisfaction Survey (UCount Survey)– this is a UC-run survey which includes questions that seek feedback from current students about their priorities as well as satisfaction with the student services provided via the student services fee.
  3. Individual student feedback – we encourage students to provide individual feedback. You can email the UCSA President at president@ucsa.org.nz any time of the year.
  4. Student voice from other sources – we also take into account students' views on student services gathered by UCSA, student views expressed at UCSA Student Advisory Groups (Postgrad, International Equity and Pacific), Student representatives' views on University Committees and Council and feedback received by individual services.
  5. Regular meetings with student representative groups – our Student Executive hosts Kōrero and Kai catch-ups that any student(s) can attend. These are held during term time and are promoted on our social media channels and through on-campus poster boards.
  6. Our UCSA Student Executive sit on over 40 boards and committees at UC:
    1. President - Student Levy Advisory Board (SLAB), Student Voice Partnership Board (SVP), UC Council, Audit and Risk, Finance, Planning and Resource Committee
    2. Vice-President - Engagement sits on SLAB and SVP
    3. Vice-President - Academic (at a central level) sits on the Academic Administration Committee, Learning and Teaching, Discipline Committee, Academic Appeals, and Academic Board
    4. Faculty reps - sit on Faculty board, Forum Boards, Learning and Teaching, Health and Safety, Equity and Diversity
  7. Class Rep system - The UCSA Faculty reps run class rep feedback sessions and then directly provide the student voice back to the UC Faculties.

By emailing in your feedback to the relevant Student Executive member, they can raise matters through the correct pathways to advocate for student change.

How can I find out what the fee has been used for in the past?

Each year this information is reported in UC’s Annual Report.


Where can I find out more info?

To have your say about future fees or for help resolving fee queries:

You can also visit the UC Student Services Levy website page here: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/study/getting-started/study-and-living-costs/study-costs/student-services-levy