The NUS has vowed to make students “a force to be reckoned with” ahead of the General Election with the biggest voter registration drive in its history.
Launching its #GenerationVote campaign this week, the NUS said it would work with student unions across the country to encourage as many young people as possible to vote.
“There are millions of students in further and higher education in the UK,” union president Malia Bouattia said.
”At our best we are a force to be reckoned with, and one that the politicians cannot ignore.”
Arguing that student voices are “not always listened to”, Bouattia continued: “Since 2010 students have seen bursaries, grants and EMA cut, college funding slashed and tuition fees tripled.
“Since Brexit, there has been a toxic atmosphere of growing racism, followed by a sharp rise in hate crime. This has led to uncertainty and fear amongst our international students, who form an essential part of our vibrant campus communities.
“It is time for students to refuse to let yet another government trample over our rights and alienate our generation from the political process,” she added. “We must be the generation that votes.”
Last week, campaign group Hope Not Hate warned that students are set to become the most under-represented group in the General Election, with thousands of young people still not registered to vote.
But the NUS said it is working to ensure Brexit is “a catalyst that brings young voters back to the polls”.
Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of Universities UK, said universities will be “scaling up their efforts” to encourage students to register to vote.
“We will be encouraging university leaders to work with students’ unions to get the message out across campuses nationwide,” she added.
For more information about how to register to vote, click here.