FAQs


  • How do I become a member?
    If you are interested in joining the RSS, you should first decide which category of membership applies to you. Once you have chosen the relevant category, you must fill out a quick online application form.
  • What are the types of membership?
    We offer several different categories of membership: e-Student, fellow, Data Analyst, Graduate Statistician (GradStat), and Chartered Statistician (CStat). We also offer corporate discounts to organisations with at least ten members. Find out which category of membership is suitable for you.
     
  • Am I eligible for a concessionary fee?

    Concessionary fees are available to:

    Students – those in full time higher education or undertaking a part-time PhD.

    New graduates – those who have graduated within the last two years. The concessionary rate will apply for five years from the point of joining.

    Retired – those who are retired from full-time employment and do not have an earned income of over £12,500 per annum (not including any income from pensions or savings).

    Economically Developing Areas (EDAs) – those in EDA countries as defined by the RSS.

    Career Breaks – those who are not currently earning a salary.  n.b. this option is for existing members only – please get in touch to confirm your eligibility for the concessionary rate.

  • How do I renew my membership?

    The easiest way to renew your membership is online via My RSS. If you have any difficulty logging in, or if you need to make a change to your subscription before making payment, please contact membership@rss.org.uk.

  • How can I get a receipt for my membership payment?
    Receipts are available to download from within My RSS – simply scroll down to the ‘Your fees’ section on the Membership page and click on ‘View’ next to the relevant subscription.  This will open up an html receipt, and you can save it by selecting the ‘Print’ option in your browser and selecting ‘Print to PDF’.
     
  • Can I claim tax relief/GiftAid on my membership fee?
    If you are completing your tax return in the UK and your RSS membership is relevant to your job, you can claim tax back on your full membership fee.  Simply list your membership payment amount on your tax return.  More information can be found on the HMRC website.  (The RSS is listed as ‘Statistical Society Royal’ in HMRC’s list of approved professional organisations and learned societies.)
     
    GiftAid can only be claimed on donations (where the donor receives a benefit of no more than 10% of the value of the donation) and not on membership subscriptions, so unfortunately we cannot claim GiftAid on your membership payment. 
  • How do I upgrade my membership?

    If you are an e-Student member, you can upgrade to fellow membership by using the online join form. If you are still studying full-time (or part-time on a PhD), or if you have graduated within the past two years, make sure you select the concessionary rate.

    If you are a fellow and wish to upgrade to Data Analyst, GradStat or CStat status, please see below:
     

  • How do I apply to become a Data Analyst?

    To become a Data Analyst member, you will need to join as a fellow first. In addition, there are various criteria that applicants need to meet and there is a one-off fee of £50. Find out more about the criteria. When you are ready to upgrade to Data Analyst, you can do so from within My RSS.

  • How do I apply to become a GradStat or a CStat?

    To be awarded GradStat or CStat status, you will need to join as a fellow first. In addition, there are various criteria that applicants need to meet.

    More information on becoming a GradStat and how to apply.
    More information on becoming a CStat and how to apply.

    When you are ready to upgrade to GradStat or CStat, you can do so from within MyRSS.

  • How long will it take to process my application?

    If you’re joining as an e-Student or fellow, your membership will be activated as soon as you click ‘Submit’ at the end of the application form.

    All applications for professional membership (Data Analyst, GradStat and CStat) are considered by our Professional Affairs Committee. This process can take between 3 – 8 weeks. Some university courses are formally accredited; other cases are considered on an individual basis. Processing times may change during the processing of your application.

    The Committee may defer making a decision, pending receipt of additional information and the RSS office will contact the applicant to request this.

    Please note that the processing time of CStat applications also depends heavily on the referencing procedure and how quickly your referees respond.

  • When will I receive my GradStat/CStat certificate?
    You will receive an e-certificate as soon as you are awarded your professional membership status. You can access this certificate via MyRSS.

    Please note that we no longer issue hard copy certificates.

     
  • I forgot my username and/or password. How do I find it?
    On the login page, click on 'forgot password' and follow the instructions.
  • How do I change my contact information?
    You can update your contact details online by logging in to My RSS.
     
  • Can I cancel my membership?

    Have you considered whether you may be eligible for a concessionary subscription rate? See the concessionary fee question above and get in touch if you would like to continue your membership at a reduced rate.

    If you still wish to cancel your membership, please contact the membership team as it is not possible to do this online.

    Please note that if you cancel your membership, any existing application for professional membership and/or the Advanced Data Science Professional certificate will automatically be withdrawn and no longer assessed.
     
     

  • Can I get a refund?
    Refund policy

    When you sign up to, or renew, membership of the RSS, you agree to do so for a full year, regardless of the payment method used.

    All paid membership subscriptions will be subject to a 30-day cooling-off period from the date of joining or date of renewal. Any fees paid will be refunded in full to you once a written request to cancel or lapse your membership has been received within the 30-day cooling-off period. All emails must be sent to membership@rss.org.uk.

    Where possible, we will refund by the same method that we received the payment.  For payments received by credit or debit cards, the same credit/debit card will be refunded.  For all other payments, a bank transfer will be made to the payee nominated account.  Please note: for payments received from outside the UK by bank transfer, the refund will be made by bank transfer and all bank charges will be for the registrant’s account.

    Where a member requests their membership of the RSS to be terminated after the 30-day cooling-off period, they will not be eligible for any refund.

    An exception to this 30-day cooling-off policy is where the RSS is advised in writing that a member is deceased; then the fees collected will be refunded pro rata for the membership year.

    If you pay by Direct Debit, your annual membership will be automatically renewed as per your renewal notice unless you give us at least ten days written notice of your intention not to renew. All emails must be sent to membership@rss.org.uk.

    Please note that refunds will not usually be made to members who retrospectively indicate that they could have been in a lower cost membership category e.g. a standard rate member who could have been entitled to the retired rate. The onus is on members to inform the RSS of any required changes to their circumstances prior to their membership renewal.
  • How do I get access to my online publications?
    You can access all your subscribed publications online via My RSS – simply log in and click on ‘Publications.’