GOVERNMENT MOVES THE STUDENTS’ GRANTS AND LOANS SCHEME OFFICE AWAY FROM AU – EMPLOYEES FEAR LOSING THEIR JOBS

Eyebrows were raised at Aarhus University on 7 October, when brief announcements from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science and ATP revealed that Denmark’s largest pension and administration company, ATP, is taking over the SU administration from the government. 

AU Student Administration and Services knew nothing about the decision, and the employees in the SU guidance at AU read about it for the first time in the media. 

The decision means that from 1 May 2026, ATP will be responsible for the administration and disbursement of SU, which is currently in the hands of the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science. The SU guidance, which is currently located at the educational institutions, will be moved to ATP on 1 May 2027.

"Guidance tasks regarding SU etc., which are currently located locally at the educational institutions, will move to ATP's already existing customer service centre, which today also guides other public services. This should contribute to a more uniform and effective guidance. The planning of the relocation of guidance tasks will be carried out in consultation with the educational institutions leading up to the handover on 1 May 2027,” writes Minister for Higher Education and Science Christina Egelund (Moderates) in a briefing to the Finance Committee of the Danish Parliament. 

As a result, the seven employees in the SU guidance at Aarhus University are now uncertain about their future employment. 

They are in shock, says Helle Colding, who is the joint union representative for the clerical employees at Aarhus University. Four of the seven employees at the SU office are clerical employees. 

"No one had any knowledge of this in any way. These employees are understandably in shock. They’re deeply specialised in the tasks regarding SU and have worked with it almost all their lives. Therefore, it is a huge shock that the tasks are moving from the university to ATP," Helle Colding says.

Concerned about the quality of guidance 

No one knows why the decision has been made and what the ministry hopes to achieve with it, Helle Colding explains. In addition to explaining in her briefing that the transfer aims to provide more consistent and efficient guidance, the minister also writes that ATP can contribute significant expertise to a modernisation of the SU system, which “will be necessary within a few years.”

"Are you even aware of how big a guidance task this is, and how specialised an area it is? I have my doubts. One thing is to disburse the money. That’s not an issue. But taking over the entire task seems crazy to me. Is this part of the savings plan put forward by the government? No one knows," Helle Colding says. 

She is concerned that the relocation will affect the quality of the SU guidance. 

“These are people who’ve worked with this for many years and spoken with the students. The guidance is also about maternity grants, supplements of the monthly SU grant, youth travel cards and mileage allowance. It's a complicated area," she says.  

WANTS TO SPEAK WITH MANAGEMENT

It has already been established that approximately 110 employees from the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science will be moved to ATP's main centre in Hillerød. 

AU employees have no interest in moving to Hillerød if that’s what ATP will propose, Helle Colding explains. She has held a meeting with the four employees who wish to remain at AU. 

“We want to speak with management about what their future at AU looks like. What competency development is needed for them to get another job at AU? I'm confident that it can be done in a workplace as large as AU, but of course, I don't get to decide," she says. 

"IT'S VERY UNSETTLING"

Mads Ask Olesen, who is the union representative for the three other employees at the SU office – including himself – who have an academic background, is in line with Helle Colding in his criticism and astonishment at the decision. 

“It’s very unsettling. A decision like this, made without prior notice, naturally creates uncertainty among employees in general. Because what will happen in a year and a half? Will we no longer have jobs? That is the ultimate consequence," Mads Ask Olesen says.  

He can’t interpret the message from ATP and the ministry in any other way than that it means the SU office at Aarhus University, in its current form, will be shut down, he explains.

"No decision has been made on this, but it states that the task will be transferred to ATP. “I’d be very surprised if they said they wanted people to remain at AU to provide SU guidance,” Mads Ask Olesen says. 

AU Student Administration and Services: "WE DON'T THINK THE DECISION WILL CHANGE"

Jens Bundgaard, head of the SU guidance at AU Student Administration and Services, explains that the university hasn’t been consulted or informed in advance. 

"Like so many others, we were surprised when we saw that press release," Jens Bundgaard says.

The university assumes that the guidance task will be moved out of AU on 1 May 2027, as presented in the press releases from ATP and the ministry. 

"We don’t think the decision will change, so despite our astonishment, we will approach the dialogue constructively to ensure that the new organization will be good. We’re very aware that the students must be able to receive high-quality guidance even after this," Jens Bundgaard says. 

Like the union representatives, he is largely in the dark about the basis for the decision and the assumptions behind it. 

"We can’t say anything right now, other than that we are focused on ensuring a good transition to the next work phase for the affected employees. But we do not know much about the specific conditions yet. We are in continuous dialogue with the ministry through our special interest organisation, Universities Denmark, to get more clarity," he says.

Jens Bundgaard can’t say whether SU guidance will deteriorate in the future, but points out that AU must make sure to draw attention to what constitutes good guidance for students. 

"We have local attention to what constitutes good quality, and as we gain more knowledge about the plan, we’ll be better able to address the key concerns we see in relation to the new organisational setup,” he says.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS MUST BE INVOLVED 

ATP, which, according to the minister, will take over the guidance in May 2027 via its existing customer service centre, refers questions about the consequences and changes for educational institutions to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science.

Omnibus has asked the Ministry of Higher Education and Science whether the SU office at AU will close in 2027 and whether the employees will lose their jobs or be offered a position at ATP. The ministry explains in a brief written response – which closely resembles the minister’s briefing to the Finance Committee of the Danish Parliament – that it is still unknown what will happen.

"The specific organisation of the relocation of the guidance tasks from the institutions to ATP has not yet been determined, but will be carried out in consultation with the educational institutions."

THE STUDENT COUNCIL IS CONCERNED 

There are signs of concern within the Student Council at Aarhus University, says chair Daniel Hjort. The Student Council understands that there can be value in a uniform, national SU management, but centralisation doesn’t equal quality, Daniel Hjort points out. The Student Council fears that the quality of the guidance will decline. 

"We are concerned that students will lose the opportunity to receive personal guidance when the SU administration is moved away from the university. For many, it is crucial to be able to talk personally with a face-to-face employee who understands their student life - not just a voice in a call centre," Daniel Hjort says.

In particular, the Student Council is concerned about how it will affect the students who already need extra support. This may involve international students or students with other special circumstances.

"They often need guidance that requires time, understanding and flexibility. You don't get that in a national customer service centre," says Daniel Hjort. 

The Student Council also criticises the fact that the decision has been made without the involvement of the educational institutions or organisations. 

"The fact that even the university didn’t know what was going to happen before the decision was made says everything about how little the ministry has wanted a transparent process," Daniel Hjort says.

This text was machine translated and post-edited by Lisa Enevoldsen.