Students created students’ unions to harness local collective power, and a national union to build national collective power. We win for students by working together.
By being part of NUS UK, you and your officers will be able to:
- Make change happen on the issue’s students care about and want to be different in education and our wider society
- Shape, influence, take part in, support and hold to account our national and nation specific campaigns
- Elect, work with and hold to account the Full-time officer (FTO) executive team
- Attend, participate and vote in NUS conferences and events.
Being a member of NUS is all about collectivism. The more of us fighting the challenges, the more of an impact we can have!
The power of our movement
For 100 years the student movement has led the way on social change and fighting for a better education. We can only do this when we stand together. NUS is your national union, representing 4 million students across the UK.
Unions are built on the values of collectivism and solidarity. Together we achieve national change. We are stronger working together than acting as one student or one student’s union.
Without your Students Union, whilst students can still show their support for NUS campaigns they will miss out on higher level campaigning. For example, our Open Letter to the Chancellor in response to the budget signed by over 155 elected student officers. Your voice will be missing in our decision-making spaces where our campaign priorities decided and officer team is elected. You will miss out on conferences, campaign training and organising spaces. Our campaigns are stronger when you are a part of it.
The past few years have shown us exactly why a strong, united, and unstoppable student movement is so important. Students are losing huge sums of money in rent, tuition fees, and rising unemployment. Our movement has consistently stepped up to support students and defend their rights. In recent years we have seen students under attack, struggling through a pandemic, a student mental health crisis, and a continued lack of support from the government. Now the cost-of-living crisis is pushing students to the brink. That's why we are campaigning for a cost of living support package.
The need to work together to defend students and the world we are a part of has never been more urgent.
Big wins
Over the last 2 years, with students’ unions and students working together we had some BIG WINS for students:
- £15m into university student hardship to address the cost of living crisis.
- Put £800m back into students’ pockets via rent wins and student support funds.
- U-turn on grades for A-Level and BTEC
- Made the government and authorities concede that students not receiving adequate education are eligible for refunds or re-dos.
- Widespread no detriment policies during covid.
- 50 SUs support Student Strike mobilising 2000 students in London and 6 regional events.
- End use of NDAs pledge signed by 54 institutions
- Student loan threshold frozen
- 800 supporters/40 SUs sign divest to decolonise open letter
In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland:
- £350 increase in student support package in Scotland.
- Student Mental Health Strategy wins in NI & Wales
- Access to Erasmus for NI students and Taith scheme in Wales.
- £500 covid disruption payments for students in NI.
- £4.5m for Student Unions/ Associations in Scotland and Wales.
- £55m in financial support for students in NI with a 40% increase to maintenance loans.
- £2.3m for student mental health support in Wales during the cost of living crisis.
- 9.4% student maintenance increase in Wales.
We make noise on student issues
- 27,000 media articles with a reach of 255 million (2020-22)
- We tripled our media reach speaking out for students during covid.
- #StudentDeservesBetter trending
- Over 100,000 campaign actions engaging 350,000 supporters
