...so what is NUS?

NUS is a voluntary membership organisation comprising a confederation of local student representative organisations in colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland which have chosen to affiliate and which pay a membership fee. We have nearly 750 constituent members (CMs) - virtually every college and university in the country.

NUS is one of the largest student organisations in the world and represents the interests of around five million students in further and higher education throughout the United Kingdom. NUS provides research, representation, training and expert advice for individual students and students' unions. We deal with over 15,000 welfare enquiries each year and train over 3,000 students' union officers.

Students' unions, guilds and associations

Students' unions are the backbone of NUS and are integral to student life. They provide a broad range of services from welfare advice and information to clubs and societies, bars, shops and catering services, student community action projects and charity fundraising events.
Students' unions also play a vital role in facilitating the representation of students' views within the institution. Students' union officers often sit on the board of governors of the college or university and students' unions help student course representatives at a departmental level as well as supporting students in academic appeals.

Elected student officers conduct the affairs of the students' union and implement policy. Every student has the opportunity to take part in making decisions on policy and areas of work through general meetings or elected councils. In larger students' unions, some elected officers spend a sabbatical year working full time for the students' union whilst many unions also employ professional staff. Students' unions decide whether they wish to affiliate to the National Union of Students.

Every constituent member of NUS pays an annual subscription fee. This is calculated by a number of means, depending on the number of full-time and part-time students who are members of the union and the amount of money the union receives from their college or university.

The funds raised from affiliation fees are used to fund the campaigns and activities of the National Union, including the running of all of the democratic structures in which the union is entitled to take part.