Welcome to NUS-USI
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Hello and welcome to the NUS-USI website
Hi there, my name is Katie Morgan, I am the President of NUS-USI, which is an organization formed by the National Union of Students UK (NUSUK) and the Union of Students in Ireland (USI). We provide representation and support to students throughout their time at University or College here in Northern Ireland. We represent all students in both the Higher Education and Further Education Sector. NUS-USI is the voice of almost 200,000 students in Northern Ireland!
Every year, students are faced with more and more problems. This year the major issue is Variable Fees. Students are now faced with a massive debt when they leave University. NUS-USI will continue to fight for a better deal for our Students. NUS-USI will also be working closely with the FE colleges to support them during and after the FE merger.
NUS-USI works on a number of different areas including student safety and welfare. We also fight for decent affordable accommodation for all students, good community relations and provide training and development for Students Unions... just to mention a few!
As a student, you now have the opportunity to purchase the NUS Extra Card. This card is giving Students Extra Discounts in over 90 stores including Amazon, Ticket Master and many more. See your Student Union Office for more details. This is the MUST have Card this year.
NUS-USI has been helping students' unions with elections this year for the union executive and student governor positions. An individual student from your college is elected each year by fellow students to sit on the Governing Body - the senior decision making body for your college. If you are interested in getting involved and running for a position, check our website, your local SU or contact NUS-USI for further information.
Remember it is YOUR Students' Union, and NUS-USI is YOUR student voice, USE US!
Good luck with the academic year and get Involved in the Student Movement!
Katie Morgan
President
PRESS RELEASE - 10 JUNE 2009
Students: Kick start your summer plans with cash back from TV Licensing
As the university summer holidays are set to start, TV Licensing is reminding students in Northern Ireland they may be able to claim a refund of more than £34 on their Licence.
Many students moving back home for the summer from halls of residence or shared flats and houses will no longer need their TV Licence. If this is the case and there are three full calendar months before the Licence expires, they are entitled to a refund for the unused quarter. A Licence bought in October 2008 cost £139.50 so the refund totals £34.88. Deborah King, TV Licensing spokesperson for Northern Ireland, said: “At TV Licensing, we know that a little cash injection is always welcome, particularly for hard-up students. So long as you purchased your TV Licence in October 2008, and you don’t need it for July, August and September, you could claim a refund of more than £34, by simply filling in a form.” “If you watch live TV on a traditional set, or on a PC or laptop, you need to be covered by a valid TV Licence. Our advice is to always make sure you get your Licence by the end of October so that you qualify for a refund at the end of the academic year.” Katie Morgan, NUS-USI President said: "This is a great benefit for students that they need to take advantage of. The end of the university year is usually when money starts to run out, so we recommend that students make the most of this policy. For anyone struggling to pay university bills, or even those simply wanting some extra cash for the summer, one quick phone call to TV Licensing and completing a simple form, is all it takes."A TV Licence currently costs £142.50. Students with any questions about TV Licensing requirements or applying for a refund should visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk/students2009 or call 0844 800 6734.
ENDS When do you need a TV Licence?Your parents’ TV Licence will not cover you away from home except in very limited circumstances.[i] Anyone without a valid TV Licence who watches or records television programmes on any channel (including terrestrial, satellite or cable television channels) as they are being broadcast in the UK or using any device, such as PCs or laptops, risks prosecution and a fine of up to £1000.
· If you live in halls of residence and use a TV in your own room, you need your own separate TV Licence.
· You also need your own Licence if you are sharing a house with other students and use a TV in your room, and your room is a separately occupied place (a separate tenancy agreement would normally indicate that this is the case).
· If you have a separate tenancy agreement but a television is only being used in a communal area, then only one Licence is required.
· If you are sharing a house with other students and you use a TV in your own room, but the house can be treated as one place shared by all, then only one TV Licence is required (a joint tenancy agreement would usually be evidence that the house is a single licensable place for this purpose).
Costs and refunds
A TV Licence currently costs £142.50 and a black and white Licence costs £48. These fees increased from £139.50 for a colour Licence and £47 for a black and white Licence, on 1 April 2008.
Most students would need to buy a TV Licence at the beginning of term in October in order to allow enough time at the end of the year to qualify for a refund.
The refund on a TV Licence bought after April 2009 will be £35.62.
To arrange your refund, or if you require further information, please contact TV Licensing on 0844 800 6734.
TV Licensing wants to make it as easy as possible for people to pay for their TV Licence. To find out about the many ways to pay, including over-the-counter services via PayPoint, and Direct Debit, visit www.tvlicensing.co.uk/students2009 or call 0844 800 6734.
NOMINATIONS HAVE BEEN RE-OPEN FOR VACANT POSITIONS IN THE NUS-USI EXECUTIVE FOR THE COMING YEAR - 1 JULY 2009 - 30 JUNE 2010
VACANT POSITIONS ARE:-
Education/Welfare Officer
Further Education Union Development Officer
Disability Awareness Officer
Equality Officer and
Steering Committee Member
Please click here for Nomination Form
Student Loan Repayment Petition to Westminister
Support Mark Durkan's motion in Parliament to raise the student loan repayment threshold from £15,000 to £18,000
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/StudentLoanSDLP/
LOVE MUSIC HATE RACISM Event - May 5th 2009 - Speakeasy, QUEENS SU
Free Prescription Charges
Students may to get free prescription by completing a HCL form available at any pharmacy.
SERC Students Abseil for Charity
Student Union Representatives from the South Eastern Regional College have taken part in an abseil from the Northern Ireland Investment Building in Belfast in aid of the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children.
The photograph shows, from left to right, Roger Duncan (Principal Lecturer for Pastoral Care), Hannah McCreery (Student President, Bangor & Ards Campuses), Adrianne Peltz (Welfare Officer, Bangor & Ards Campuses and Jenny Reid (Student Activities Co-ordinator).
For your invite to the Northern Ireland Assembly Roadshow at an area near you -
3 December 2008
Your chance to vote in the European election 2009 is coming soon! Download our election fact sheet and FAQ here
Did you know that the first European election in 5 years is set for 4 June 2009? This is your chance to have a say in which 3 local MEPs get to represent Northern Ireland in the European Parliament.
Our MEPs will take their seats in Strasbourg and Brussels much like MPs in Westminster, and will debate, discuss and vote on issues that affect each and every EU member state and citizen.
It's really important we have as much as say as possible in the way policies are made by the European Parliament, as EU legislation affects us in many different ways... Think of how we gripe about mobile phone tariffs: last year the EU introduced a regulation to cut costs of using our phone abroad... Or spending a summer or semester working overseas: the EU made it possible for us to enter other EU countries with just a passport and no need for a visa... On the climate change front, the EU has committed to positive action on greenhouse gases... So it's something that affects all of us!
If you're over 18, and registered to vote, you're eligible to take part. (Registration is easy, just visit www.eoni.org.uk/index/registration.htm to find out how).
Voting in the European election gives you a say on important issues that affect you, and a say in who represents you. If you'd like to learn more about the European election, why it's happened, who won it last time and what candidates are running for the June 2009 election, you can download our fact sheet and FAQ here.
26 November 2008:
A template letter students can use to write to the Sir Reg Empey, Minister for Employment and Learning is available for download here. The letter highlights some of the difficulties students face in relation to variable tuition fees and underlines their concerns about fees in the run-up to this academic year's review of student fees and support.
PRESS RELEASE - 3 DECEMBER 2008
No recession relief for students: tuition fees to increase to £3,225 Katie Morgan, President of NUS-USI, the National Union of Students-Union of Students in Ireland and voice of the student movement, responded to today’s decision by the Stormont Committee for Employment and Learning to approve an increase in variable tuition fees in line with inflation, proposed by the Department for Employment and Learning. At a time of economic crisis, this £2.8m rise is coming out of students' pockets to fund universities. We want our institutions to maintain their world-class status, but we call for greater fairness, flexibility and accessibility. Raising the fee, even on this small level, sends a negative message to prospective students, and opens the door to ‘shopping around’ for the best university deal. The Minister for Employment and Learning has announced a Review of Fees and Student Support will shortly commence. NUS-USI will be raising today’s approval of an increase, as well as other critical issues affecting students as part of the Review. We strongly criticise the lack of parity across the UK with regard to maintenance grants, and are also concerned about the distinct disadvantage of NI graduates when it comes to paying back student loans, compared to graduates in the rest of the UK. Together with today’s approval of a fees increase, students are being hit with debts at a time when many are being place in a very vulnerable financial position. The decision to increase fees to £3,225 is bitterly disappointing to students. NUS-USI lobbied extensively at the Committee for Employment and Learning and urged individual MLAs to consider how students will be impacted, at a time when, across the UK and Ireland, we are seeing concessions and extraordinary steps being taken to help those affected by the economic downturn. The parties that voted to approve the rise in fees were DUP and UUP. This was a perfect time to show real leadership and commitment to put the welfare and financial security of our students at the forefront. By approving an inflationary increase in fees, students feel a blind eye is being turned to the financial hardships they face during the credit crunch.”
3 November 2008:
The latest version of the NUS-USI Lobbying Toolkit is now available for free download, and offers advice, information and tips on campaigning and lobbying and how to get your message across to a range of audiences. You can download the Toolkit here
NUS Student Parents Survey - tell us about being a student parent and enter a draw to win £50 High Street Vouchers! This year NUS has been carrying out a major piece of research into the experiences of parents studying in further and higher education. The aim of the research is to shed light on the barriers faced by student parents, as well as to investigate the positive impact that learning can have on individuals and their families. We know from the research that we have already carried out that learners can face problems to do with student finance and benefits, course organisation and childcare, and that studying with children can sometimes be an isolating and stressful experience. We also know that individuals and their families benefit enormously from parental education and that further and higher education can have a huge impact on child poverty and children's educational attainment. We need further evidence of the issues facing student parents so that we can campaign for changes to improve their experience of education now and in the future. For this reason we are asking student parents to fill in an online survey which you can access here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=DzXEeaV0OG3xgHgip1Iqww_3d_3d Anyone filling in the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win one of three £50 High St Vouchers! All survey responses are anonymous.
- Equality Officer - Anne Pauli
To find out more about NUS-USI's work on equality issues click here
- Disability Officer - Stephen McShane
Student Parents Movement
Please click on the link below for information on the Student Parents' Movement:
Student Parents' Movement Information
 | NUS-USI supports votes at 16 Posted: Tuesday June 10th 2008 |
| NUS-USI expresses concern at student dropout rate Posted: Tuesday June 10th 2008 |
 | LGBT Blood Donation Campaign Posted: Thursday May 8th 2008 Students from campuses throughout Northern Ireland will be campaigning today (8 May) for the National Union of Students – Union of Students in Ireland Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (NUS-USI LGBT) day of action. [ Read More ] |