The Student Union of the University of Turku, TYY, is among the oldest student unions in Finland. Founded in 1922, TYY has been taking a stand for the students for 95 years. Every Finnish university has its own Student Union (ylioppilaskunta).
The membership of a student union is compulsory for all Finnish undergraduate students - and for those international students who are studying for a Finnish degree. It is possible for the exchange students to join a student union, too. Joining the student union gives you a lot of benefits - for example, the possibility to acquire a student card, subsidised student lunches, access to YTHS (Finnish Student Health Service), to name a few.
The Student Union of the University of Turku (TYY) is a public corporation completely independent of the University of Turku. The role of TYY is to represent its members, to advance the position of students in society and provide them with services ranging from consultations with lawyers to parties and sports opportunities. In addition to the local student unions, there is a National Union of University Students in Finland (Suomen ylioppilaskuntien liitto, SYL).