Austrian Students' Association

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The Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) is Austria’s main student representative body. It acts as the students’ government by law and is a member of the European Students’ Union. Membership in the ÖH is compulsory for every university student in Austria, including PhD candidates, so it represents a very large group of students.

Its rules are set by the Hochschülerinnen- und Hochschülerschaftsgesetz (HSG), which covers funding and the rights and duties of student representatives.

Key points:
- Formed in 1935; headquarters in Vienna at Taubstummengasse 7–9.
- Annual budget: about €15.8 million (2022).
- Parent department: Ministry of Education (Austria).
- Website: oeh.ac.at

Election and politics:
- The ÖH is elected every two years, in odd-numbered years.
- Voter turnout has declined from about 70% in 1965 to around 20% in recent years.
- Students join political groups called lists, often linked to national parties. Notable groups include:
- Socialist Students of Austria (linked to the Social Democrats)
- AktionsGemeinschaft (linked to the Austrian People’s Party)
- GRAS (greens)
- RFS (linked to the Freedom Party)
- JUNOS (student group of NEOS)

The ÖH helps represent students’ interests at universities and in Austrian politics.