October 5-8, 2026

yes

vote

vote yes

bcfs

Referendum at a glance

UNBC undergraduates are voting on joining the BC Federation of Students, a province-wide organisation representing students across British Columbia

Who: UNBC undergraduate students

When: October 5-8, 2026

Where: Your ballot will be emailed to your UNBC student email. On Oct. 5, you will receive a secure online ballot from ElectionBuddy.

Decision: To join the British Columbia Federation of Students

Cost: $11.48 per semester, adjusted annually by the rate of increase in the National Consumer Price Index

3 reasons to vote yes

  • Joining the BCFS would give UNBC undergraduate students access to instant cost-savings, including hundreds of student discounts on food, travel, technology and everyday purchases through the Deals App.

    Students would also benefit from the collective purchasing power of thousands of students across BC, helping NUGSS spend less and offer more:

    • Lower-cost, ethically made products and giveaways

    • Free student handbooks and dayplanners

    • Access to pooled health and dental and legal assistance plans that use collective purchasing power to provide comprehensive coverage while keeping costs down.

    When students’ unions work together, your student fees go further – leaving more resources to improve the services, events and student initiatives on campus.

    As a prospective member, NUGSS and UNBC undergraduate students already have access to some of these services. Voting yes will make sure you don’t lose access!

  • Students working together through the BCFS have won real improvements – from the BC Access Grant and interest-free student loans, to tuition-free Adult Basic Education and limited on tuition increases.

    Today, the BCFS is fighting to lower tuition, increase non-repayable grants, secure more public funding for post-secondary education, and create stronger limits on tuition increases so students aren’t left paying the price for underfunding.

    By joining the BCFS, UNBC undergraduate students would add their voice to the fight for lower costs, greater access and high-quality public education.

    See what students have won working together for the last 50 years.

    And read more about what the BCFS and students across BC are currently advocating for.

  • There is power in numbers. By joining the BCFS, UNBC undergraduate students would stand alongside thousands of students across BC, making students’ collective voice louder and harder for decision-makers to ignore.

    UNBC undergraduate students would help shape the Federation’s provincial advocacy, ensuring Northern perspectives and priorities are reflected in the issues students across BC fight for together.

    Meet our members.

    Hear why students and students’ associations across BC support UNBC undergraduates voting Yes.

Support from Students Next Door

“Joining the BCFS gives UNBC students the opportunity to organise with students across British Columbia so our perspectives are heard. Together, we can better advocate for the issues that matter to students.”
— Prabhleen Binjee UNBC student, fourth year Biomedical studies

Hear from more students and students’ unions across British Columbia about what membership has meant for them, and why they believe UNBC undergraduates should vote Yes.

“[As members of the BCFS] UNBC undergraduates would no longer be organising in isolation. It means shared research, shared campaign infrastructure and a more coordinated voice on the affordability and funding issues that affect northern students most.

We encourage UNBC undergraduate students to vote Yes.”
— College of New CNC Students' Union

What a Yes Vote Would Mean

Joining the BC Federation of Students would give UNBC undergraduate students a stronger student voice, more opportunities to save money, and the ability to join thousands of students across BC fighting for more affordable education.

Northern students would gain greater representation in province-wide advocacy, while the Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) would remain independent and continue making its own decisions on campus.

A stronger student voice

What membership adds

By joining the BCFS, UNBC undergraduate students would add their voices to more than 170,000 more students across BC, giving students greater collective power to influence government decisions while strengthening the representation of Northern students.

How it works

  • NUGSS representatives would bring the priorities of UNBC undergraduate students and Northern perspectives to BCFS meetings, campaigns and government advocacy.
  • NUGSS will have an equal vote in the Federation’s decision-making structures. Every member students’ union has one vote in BCFS decisions, regardless of its campus size or student population.
  • Students speak directly to government. BCFS members meet with elected officials and bring forward research-backed recommendations on tuition, affordability, funding, student aid and other issues affecting students.
  • NUGSS will continue to operate independently, making its own decision on campus, while gaining the support and resources of the Federation.

What students gain

The more students who work together, the harder our voices are to ignore. UNBC undergraduates would gain a meaningful and equal voice in shaping province-wide student advocacy for affordable, accessible education.

When students organise across campuses, they can help turn shared priorities into public policy.

These are four examples of changes achieved through sustained student advocacy.

Proof that collective action works

Student
debt

Interest eliminated on student loans

Interest was eliminated on provincial and federal student loans, saving students approximately $8,500 in interest payments.

tuition affordability

Domestic tuition increases capped at 2%

Annual tuition increases for domestic students at BC public post-secondary institutions were limited to 2%.

international students

Off-campus work rights expanded

International students gained greater opportunities to work off campus while completing their studies, increasing from 20 to 24 hours per week.

Student financial aid

Introduction of the BC Access Grant

Eligible students gained access to up to $4,000 per year of additional non-repayable financial assistance to help with the cost of post-secondary education.

see the full track record

frequently asked questions

  • The BC Federation of Students (BCFS) is a provincial federation of students’ societies, run by students for students. The BCFS represents over 170,000 students from universities, colleges and institutes in all regions of the province. Together, these students advocate for affordable, accessible and high-quality post-secondary education for all students. Members work together to ensure student voices are heard at all levels of government, run province-wide campaigns, and to deliver shared student services aimed at saving you money.

    By joining the BCFS, UNBC undergraduate students will add their voices to the network of students advocating to the government to stop the cuts on campus, increase public funding to post-secondary institutions, and to lower the costs of getting an education in our province.

    Individual students as well as their respective students’ society are members of the BCFS.

  • The BCFS membership fee is $11.48 per semester for each eligible UNBC undergraduate.

    Benefits of membership include:

    • Hundreds of student discounts through the Deals App

    • A stronger voice on tuition fees, student aid, funding and other student issues

    • A say in province-wide student advocacy

    • Access to campaign tools to organize on issues affecting UNBC undergraduate students

    • An equal voice in BCFS decision-making structures

    • Solidarity with a province-wide network of students’ unions to advance shared student issues

    • Shared services and resources that reduce costs for your Local students’ union, NUGSS, and make your membership fees go further

    Fees are adjusted annually by the rate of increase in the National Consumer Price Index.

  • UNBC undergraduates will have access to:
    BCFS services that save students money, for example:

    • BCFS Deals App: A discount program free for members that has hundreds of discounts on food, travel, clothing and other everyday purchases. Access to the app would be included as a benefit of membership.

    • Provincially coordinated services: By working together through the BCFS, member students’ unions can lower costs and provide better services to students. These savings can then be put to good use to improve the student experience on campus.

    Some services we coordinate provincially include:

    • Ethically made merchandise and giveaways, including pens, water bottles and other student essentials through collective bulk purchasing.

    • Free student handbooks and dayplanners to help members stay organized throughout the year.

    • Access to comprehensive student health and dental, and legal assistance plans that leverage the collective purchasing power of students’ unions.

    BCFS province-wide campaigns and advocacy, for example:

    Membership would give UNBC students a stronger voice on the issues affecting their education, while giving NUGSS more resources to advocate for students locally and provincially.

    For example, the Cuts Suck. Fix Education campaign brings students across BC together to push for stronger tuition fee protections and more public funding for post-secondary education so students do not suffer from cuts to programs, long waitlists, and reduced services.

    NUGSS would also gain access to research, training, campaign materials, shared organising tools, and province-wide solidarity with thousands of other students across BC. These resources could be adapted to UNBC’s needs, helping the Northern Undergraduate Student Society provide stronger services, run more effective campaigns and advocate for the issues affecting students.

    Essentially, students would gain new opportunities to save money, have a better-supported students’ society with more capacity, and join thousands of students across BC to make their priorities heard.

  • Many decisions affecting tuition, student financial assistance, housing and post-secondary education are made beyond an individual campus.

    A provincial organisation allows students’ unions to coordinate research, campaigns and government advocacy. It would also ensure that Northern and rural student experiences form part of a larger voice speaking to decision-makers.

    Working together gives students more influence with government. Over the years, BCFS members have won many victories that students today continue to benefit from including the elimination of provincial and federal interest on student loans, caps on annual tuition fee increases, the implementation of the BC Access grant, and the ability for international students to work off-campus.

    Learn more about what else students have achieved working together.

  • Local representation:
    UNBC undergrads will be represented by the elected representatives of the Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) in the decision-making processes of the BCFS. The Federation operates on the principle of “one Local, one vote” meaning every member students’ union has an equal vote, regardless of its campus size or student population.

    NUGSS representatives would bring UNBC undergraduate students’ priorities, concerns and experiences to BCFS meetings and will also help ensure that UNBC undergrads have access to the campaigns and services of the BCFS on campus.

    BCFS Decision-making Bodies:
    BCFS decisions are made by students’ unions from across the province. At general meetings, each member students’ union sends representatives to set the Federation’s priorities, policies, and campaigns, and to ensure membership fees are being put towards things that matter most to students at their campus.

    Between general meetings, the Executive Committee—made up of 1 appointed student representative from each member students’ unions and 7 representatives elected at the AGM—oversees the Federation’s work and carries out the direction set by members.

    This means UNBC students, through NUGSS, would have an equal voice in shaping the work of the BCFS alongside every other member students’ union.

  • Yes! The Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) would remain an independent students’ society responsible for its own governance and campus-level decisions. It would continue to govern itself, elect its own representatives, manage its own budget, staff and services and set its own local priorities.

    BCFS membership adds a level of provincial representation and opportunities for UNBC undergraduate students to participate in advocacy efforts to make education more affordable and access provincially coordinated student services. It does not take away any local control.

ABOUT BCFS MEMBERSHIP

  • All undergraduate students who are currently enrolled at UNBC and are members of the Northern Undergraduate Student Society are eligible to vote in the referendum.

  • Your ballot will be emailed to you on October 5. Voting will take place online from October 5-8, 2026.

    Check your UNBC student email for an email from ElectionBuddy. This email will contain a link to a secure online ballot.

    If you cannot find the email, be sure to check your junk or spam folders.

  • NUGSS and the BC Federation of Students have worked together informally for several years. Last year, NUGSS’s elected representatives voted to take the first step toward joining the BCFS by becoming prospective members.

    BCFS members welcomed UNBC undergraduate students as prospective members at the Federation’s Annual General Meeting in January.

    Now, the final decision belongs to you. This referendum gives UNBC undergraduate students the opportunity to decide whether to become full members of the BCFS.

  • If a majority of participating students vote “Yes”:

    • UNBC undergraduate students will become members of the BCFS; and

    • the Northern Undergraduate Student Society will become a member local of the BCFS

    Students will gain access to the Federation’s campaigns, advocacy, services, and student discount program. will also have an equal vote in the Federation’s decision-making processes, alongside every other member students’ union.

    The Northern Undergraduate Student Society will remain an independent, student-led organisation. It will continue to make its own decisions, set its own priorities, and represent UNBC undergraduate students locally.

ABOUT THE REFERENDUM