European Union programs. Student social support The students of AUTH are supported by two independent institutions: The Social Policy Committee and the Student Counseling and Guidance Service. The Social Policy Committee aims at solving a variety of problems the students may face and thus improve academic life on campus. It was established by the University Rector's Council in September 1997 and since then it has offered its services to a great number of students. These services are briefly listed below: Supports students with special needs Provides information concerning health care issues Offers counseling and psychological support Organizes numerous activities and events related to its objectives. The Student Counseling and Guidance Service provides mainly psychological support and counseling to students on a variety of issues including social and academic life, family problems, adjustment difficulties, emotional problems etc. It also organizes seminars and on a regular basis that deal with stress handling, exam preparation, study time organization and many more. With the help of the Student Counseling and Guidance Service students can more easily adapt to student life and surpass any problems or difficulties. All these services are provided to students free of charge. Health care services All students of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greek or foreign, undergraduate or postgraduate) are provided with health insurance which covers free medical care. This means that hospitalization and medication are provided free of charge. The insurance is valid for the entire period of studies, as long as it doesn't last more than one and a half times its normal duration. Every student who wants to receive free medical care must possess his personal health insurance booklet which is issued and renewed every year by the secretary of the department he/she studies in. Among others, health insurance provides: medical examination, dental examination, physiotherapy, etc. Student unions Every department of the university has a corresponding student union, and all students belonging to the department have the right to register as members. The main objective of a student union is to solve students' problems that can either be related to academic life or have a general political and social nature. Furthermore, student unions organize and support numerous activities such as political debates, educational lectures, cultural and artistic events, conferences, demonstrations, university occupations and so on. The structure of a student union is rather simple and comprises two bodies: The general assembly and the board of directors. The General