On this page, we want to answer a few questions we've been asked frequently:
We believe that the ÖH should not only offer services to students but also advocate for them politically. Many issues that at first glance have nothing to do with studying have a very concrete impact on our lives as students in practice.
Students are heavily affected by inflation: they have to finance their living expenses, suffer from the lack of fair part-time jobs, and struggle with high rents in university cities. Additionally, a high-quality and affordable healthcare system and a discrimination-free environment are needed to be able to fully focus on studying. Climate change and growing hostility towards science also directly affect us.
All of these things cannot be changed at the university itself but depend on federal politics. Through the general political mandate, we can loudly demand improvements in these areas. What's important to us: we do not use this mandate for ideological trench warfare, but instead advocate objectively for issues that bring tangible added value to everyday student life.
Compulsory membership functions like a solidarity community that guarantees all students an extremely strong network of protection and services for a very small contribution.
Most of the time, you only realize how important this support is during your studies – for example, when problems suddenly arise with examiners later in the semester, a course is incorrectly graded, or credits are not recognized upon graduation. It is precisely for such cases that the ÖH provides free legal advice and support. The automatic ÖH accident and liability insurance or the social fund in case of crisis also pay off many times over for the community.
Such offers can only be provided so cheaply and without bureaucracy for everyone if the contribution is spread across many shoulders. Without this collective support, the costs for individuals would rise dramatically. Additionally, every counseling session or workshop would first require a check on whether you are even a member.
Statutory membership secures the independence of the ÖH and ensures that every student is automatically covered from day one – regardless of when during their studies they first need help.
No, absolutely not. Our election campaign is financed entirely from private donations and income from our own events. We disclose this transparently on our website.
Woher kommt also der Vorwurf anderer Fraktionen? Politische Mitbewerber*innen behaupten vor Wahlen gerne, wir würden ÖH-Gelder zweckentfremden. Das ist falsch. Was tatsächlich passiert: Viele unserer ehrenamtlichen Funktionär*innen spenden an die Liste, während sie eine Funktionsgebühr von der ÖH beziehen.
A function fee is an expense allowance that ÖH employees are entitled to for their time-consuming work, financed from ÖH funds. Since this money is the private income of the students, they are completely free to do whatever they want with it. When our activists use their privately earned money to support our common campaign, it shows above all one thing: how much passion and conviction is in our movement.
As an independent, donation-funded faction, we have limited ways to reach all students. Conventional election advertising like posters at all university locations blows our budget.
The email newsletter allows us to introduce our program and our candidates directly to you. This legal option is granted to us (and all other factions) by § 6 of the University Students' Act (HSG).
If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can easily unsubscribe in the footer of the respective email. Then you won't receive any more newsletters from us. Promise!
Früher wurden die heutigen Fakultätsvertretungen offiziell „Fachschaften“ genannt. Unser Name steht seit jeher als Symbol dafür, dass wir eine Liste von echten Studierendenvertreter*innen an der Basis sind – im Gegensatz zu den oft parteipolitisch agierenden Fraktionen anderer Gruppen.
Even though the term „subject group“ no longer exists in the legal sense today, we continue to live the idea: For us, everyone who does representative work directly on site at the institutes and faculties counts – whether in an official ÖH function or through voluntary commitment.
We are convinced that local university groups work best when they are built organically by the students on site. This way, we ensure that the issues that are currently burning at your university are addressed. Because we do not dictate groups „from above,“ we are currently not yet represented at all universities.
Do you still want to support us?
- Vote for us at the federal representation level (BV)
- Get active and join the FLÖ federal group at
- Found your own independent university group with like-minded people – we will support you!