This year has began with a bang. Over Christmas Lord Mandelson announced more higher education budget cuts. Shrill warnings came from elite universities of the collapse of the British higher education system - with universities making the case that the funding crisis should be met with a rise in the tuition fees and the cap on these fees.

All the while, unemployment levels remain stubbornly high, leaving a highly precarious job market for graduates, and making life hard for students unable to support themselves through part-time work.

It’s clear then that this is a crucial time for students and the student movement, as we seek to defend our universities and colleges from yet more savage cuts, to ensure that students are not punished for studying during a recession, and to ensure that the concerns of students are listened to by whoever wins the coming election.

General Election
On the 1st February, NUS will be kicking off our General Election campaign. This campaign will aim to increase the turn-out of students on Polling Day; to raise awareness of the choices available to us; and to make politicians mindful of the importance of the student vote.

In lots of seats, students can win or lose the election for those standing - and we have to make sure that this power counts for us.

New Year's Resolution
We need your help in all of this - making sure that you, and your friends, are registered to vote; taking a few minutes to sign up to our General Election website, so that we can make politicians aware of the power we hold; and helping us to get the student vote out on Polling Day.

We have a great opportunity here to ensure that students’ concerns are listened to. With the right work now, we can shape future debates, bring students into the political process and help protect our higher education system.

Register to vote now