The New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA) is a representative body that advocates for the interests of tertiary students in New Zealand. It has 14 member students' associations, with a combined membership of over 180,000 students. Between 1935 and 2006, it was known as the New Zealand University Students' Association.
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The organisation was founded in 1929 as the New Zealand National Union of Students, and initially focussed its activities on sporting and social concerns. It changed its name to the New Zealand University Students' Association in 1935, and over time gave greater focus to issues concerning student welfare, such as student access to healthcare. It developed a strong involvement in social issues during the 1960s and 1970s, opposing the Vietnam War, Apartheid, and racial immigration policies, as well as supporting homosexual law reform.
The association has a long history of advocating for its members by opposing NZ Government policies it viewed as not in the interests of students. During the 1990s and 2000s the New Zealand government and New Zealand universities made large increases in fees for students, and limited access to allowances for study. These changes attracted much criticism from the NZUSA.
In the 2005 New Zealand general election the organisation strongly advocated in favour of policies it long held. These include reduction of student debt, and universal access to student allowances for full-time students. Such policy was supported by many minor parties, including the Greens, NZ First and United Future. The previous Labour-lead Government introduced 0% student interest on student loans policy, but the organisation continues to campaign against decreasing access to student allowances, and systemic fee increases.
The organisation also has a National Women's Rights Officer (NWRO), who in 2008 will be Analiese Jackson (formerly Women's Welfare Representative at the Albany Students' Association).
The Tertiary Women's Focus Group (TWFG) is a directive sub-group of NZUSA that is made up of women in students associations and coordinated the national Thursdays in black campaign.
List of Association Co-Presidents, Presidents, and Vice-Presidents
The organisation changed its name from the New Zealand University Students' Association on July the 4th 2006, to better reflect the fact it represents students at a variety of types of tertiary education institutions.