# Swiss Student Union

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The **Swiss Student Union** (**VSS-UNES-USU**, from German: *Verband Schweizer Studierendenschaften*, French: *Union des Etudiant-e-s de Suisse*, and Italian: *Unione Svizzera degli Universitari*) is the national [students' union](/source/Students'_union) of [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland). Established in 1920, it is an umbrella organization of students' unions of most Swiss [higher education](/source/Tertiary_education) institutions and represents the interests of students at the federal level. VSS-UNES-USU is a member of the [European Students' Union](/source/European_Students'_Union).[1]

In 2012, the VSS submitted the [scholarship initiative](/source/Scholarship_initiative) (German: *Stipendieninitiative*), which proposed transferring responsibility for scholarships from the [cantons](/source/Cantons_of_Switzerland) to the [federal administration](/source/Federal_administration_of_Switzerland).[2][3] Though they expressed support for a reform to ensure equitable scholarship distribution, the initiative was opposed by both houses of the [Federal Assembly](/source/Federal_Assembly_(Switzerland)) and the [Federal Council](/source/Federal_Council_(Switzerland)). All three instead supported an indirect counterproposal by the Federal Council that would only provide scholarships to cantons that met the requirements of the scholarship pact (German: *Stipendienkonkordat*); this counterproposal was also supported by the VSS.[3][4] Voters ultimately overwhelmingly rejected the initiative in a referendum, with only 27.5% of votes and zero cantons voting in favor.[5]

In November 2017, the student union of the [University of Zurich](/source/University_of_Zurich) ([VSUZH](/source/VSUZH)) debated whether to leave the VSS. Ultimately its council voted in favor of remaining in the umbrella organization.[6] At the end of 2024, the VSUZH temporarily left the VSS, with a potential return to be examined at the end of 2025. Several reasons were cited for the decision, with the primary cause being disagreements over the VSS response to [pro-Palestinian protests](/source/Gaza_war_protests_at_universities) and the [Gaza war](/source/Gaza_war).[7][8] As of 2026, the VSUZH appears to have rejoined the VSS.[1][9]

## References

1. ["VSS-UNES-USU"](https://www.vsuzh.ch/vss-unes-usu) (in de-ch). *[VSUZH](/source/VSUZH)*. Retrieved 6 March 2026.

1. Allen, Matthew (24 June 2011). ["Student brain power appeals to investors"](https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/business/student-brain-power-appeals-to-investors/30540470). *[SWI swissinfo](/source/SWI_swissinfo)*. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. ["Stipendien-Initiative - Beiden Räten geht die Stipendieninitiative zu weit"](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/stipendien-initiative-beiden-raeten-geht-die-stipendieninitiative-zu-weit) (in German). *[Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen](/source/Schweizer_Radio_und_Fernsehen) (SRF)*. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. ["Schweiz - Kritik am Gegenvorschlag zur Stipendien-Initiative"](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/schweiz-kritik-am-gegenvorschlag-zur-stipendien-initiative) (in de-ch). *Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)*. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. ["Stipendien-Initiative - Wuchtiges Nein zur Stipendien-Initiative"](https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/stipendien-initiative-wuchtiges-nein-zur-stipendien-initiative) (in de-ch). *Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF)*. 14 June 2015. Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. Heimann, Reto (29 November 2017). ["Der VSUZH verbleibt im VSS! Der Live-Ticker!"](https://www.zsonline.ch/2017/11/29/sondersitzung-live-tritt-der-vsuzh-aus-dem-vss-aus) (in de-CH). *[Zürcher Studierendenzeitung](/source/Z%C3%BCrcher_Studierendenzeitung)*. Retrieved 6 March 2026.

1. Keystone-SDA (6 December 2024). ["Studierendenverband Uni Zürich verlässt Dachverband"](https://www.blick.ch/politik/nach-palaestina-protesten-studierendenverband-uni-zuerich-verlaesst-dachverband-id20388658.html) (in de-CH). *[Blick](/source/Blick)*. [Keystone-SDA](/source/Keystone-SDA). Retrieved 5 March 2026.

1. Baumann, Debora (20 February 2025). ["VSUZH verlässt vorübergehend den VSS"](https://www.zsonline.ch/2025/02/20/vsuzh-verlaesst-voruebergehend-den-vss) (in de-CH). *Zürcher Studierendenzeitung*. Retrieved 6 March 2026.

1. ["Mitglieder | VSS UNES USU"](https://vss-unes.ch/mitglieder/) (in de-ch). 2 December 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2026.

## External links

- [Official website](https://vss-unes.ch/en/)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Swiss Student Union](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Student_Union) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Student_Union?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.