- A students' union, guild, common room or representative council exists to which all the full-time students at a post-16 education establishment have access to join/belong
- The students' union, guild, common room or representative council has been active for at least 12 to 18 months; working under a constitution that incorporates democratic structures, including annual elections.
- The students' union has an income
School sixth-forms are now able to join NUS following a vote at an extraordinary conference in late 2007.
How do we decide as a union whether to join NUS?
It’s up to your individual union how you decide whether to join NUS. In most cases, students decide through a referendum, or at a meeting of elected representatives.
Bear in mind that under the Education Act 1994, if a union decides to affiliate to an external organisation it’s required to publish notice of its decision and make this available to the governing body and all students.
Click here to see the benefits your students union could gain from affiliation to NUS.
How much does it cost?
We charge an annual affiliation fee to constituent members (affiliated unions). This includes the provision of NUS Extra Cards, access to NUS Services and training, and participation in our democratic structures.
The fee covers the period 01 July to the following 30 June, and is payable in October. The fee itself will depend on your student numbers and students' union income. The minimum affiliation fee is £250 and a cap is set at £50,000.
How do we apply?
You’ll need to send us a copy of your students’ union constitution, a union financial statement, a college prospectus and a completed application form (available from NUS Membership)
A new affiliate joining during the year has to have its acceptance agreed at our Annual Conference in March/April or at one of our three National Councils, after which they will only be expected to pay a proportional fee for the remaining part of the year.
What do NUS members have to do?
Beyond the payment of fees, as a constituent member of NUS your only obligation is to be supportive of the aims and objectives of NUS. These are specified in our constitution.
The main requirement is that you operate without regard to political party, religion, sex, sexuality, race or ethnicity and any breach of this could render your union liable to suspension. But with this exception, you’re under no obligation to follow any particular view expressed by NUS.
Find out more about NUS’ structure and democratic procedures.