YES, AUSA should continue to be affiliated to the National Union of Students.
A statement sent to the Elections Committee:
REMAIN IN NUS, VOTE ‘YES’
NUS Scotland represents over 500,000 students in Scotland. We are the voice of students on the issues that matter to them. Our strength comes from our membership, and if we wish to continue making Scotland a better place to live and learn then we need the guidance and activism of students from every corner of the country.
Remain part of Scotland’s national student movement, delivering on student priorities:
- Protecting study abroad opportunities & international students’ rights
- Demanding serious action on climate change
- Better mental health services on your campus
What has NUS Scotland won for you?
We’re proud of our campaigning work with, and on behalf of, University of Aberdeen students:
- NUS Scotland won an extra £21 million for student cost-of-living support, delivering better bursary support, and a bursary of £8,100 for care-experienced students.
- From this academic year, the University of Aberdeen has benefited from new funding - as part of a £20 million Scottish Government investment – to improve counselling provision, thanks to NUS Scotland campaigning.
- NUS Scotland supported your students’ association to scrap graduation fees at Aberdeen, saving students £45 each.
- Thanks to NUS Scotland, from 2021 students will pay back their student loan once earning £25,000 and above – up from £18,935 now.
- NUS Scotland supported the Royal College of Nursing to lobby the government to increase the Scottish nursing and midwifery bursary to £10,000 from 2020/21.
- Campaigning to protect opportunities for students in Scotland and across the EU post Brexit, including access to Erasmus+ and protecting vital funding.
- NUS Scotland successfully campaigned for tuition fees to be scrapped.
Why vote for Yes?
- We ensure University of Aberdeen students are represented at Holyrood and Westminster. Thanks to NUS Scotland, your President has the chance to put your concerns direct to the Scottish Government at the annual Presidents’ Roundtable.
- We provide networking events, training courses and opportunities for students to learn, share and connect across Scotland.
- As part of NUS Scotland, University of Aberdeen students are part of the wider student movement! NUS Scotland members work in solidarity with students from across the UK, as part of NUS UK, and across Europe, as part of the European Students' Union.
- We campaign on Liberation issues, alongside students who face opporession: campaigning for a fair system of gender recognition for trans people, tackling the Black Attainment gap, successfully lobbying for free sanitary products and investment to combat gender-based violence, and more.
And with a ‘Yes’ vote, we know we can build on these benefits - and all for just £1.62 per student from next year!
Our strength comes from our membership, and if we wish to continue making Scotland a better place to live and learn then we need the guidance and activism of students from every corner of the country. Make sure Aberdeen students are part of our future success.
