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NUS Scotland: what we do

NUS Scotland represents around 500,000 students at college or university in Scotland through our member students’ associations – your students’ union. We promote, defend and extend the rights of students.

We campaign on the issues students care about, from student support and quality courses to better housing and a fairer society. 
In recent years, we have:

  • Campaigned for free education to be maintained in Scotland. 
  • Worked as part of the Commission on Widening Access to advise the Scottish Government on progress to ensure more people from the poorest backgrounds get into university.  
  • Campaigned to reverse £127 million worth of planned budget cuts to colleges.
  • Helped save Strathclyde University student Lord Apetsi from deportation with our #SaveLord campaign.
  • Campaigned for a right to further education support, fairer higher education support and improved mental health support during the Scottish elections, resulting in the Scottish Government committing to a full review. 

Our work is led by students

Every year we bring together hundreds of students from colleges and universities across Scotland to campaign and to elect a group of students to lead our work. 

We also support our member students’ associations to develop their activities and representative structures, with a particular focus on encouraging LGBT+, women, disabled and black and minority ethnic students to be active on campus and beyond.  

Other areas of work in 2016-17 include:

  • Improving the experience for student parents.
  • Supporting the National Society of Apprentices Scotland.
  • Supporting local activism around housing and transport issues
  • Standing up for EU students following the EU Referendum Brexit result.
  • Fighting for the best future possible for young people, ensuring their voices are heard in the on-going debate.

You can find out more about our work for this year in the Our Work section of our website.