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HOW WE’RE REBUILDING THE NATION’S LARGEST STUDENT ORGANIZATION  
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Sean Behl
December 12, 2024
The Forge
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_ For over 70 years, the U.S. Student Association represented
millions, weathered CIA infiltration, and championed civil rights and
free higher education. Learn how this organization was built in the
1940s and why a new generation is rebuilding it. _

A young Kwame Ture attempted to influence the organization but was
stifled by the CIA, Credit: Leni Sinclair

 

Where We Were

For decades, the United States Student Association (USSA) served as
the nation’s most powerful student voice. Born in 1978 from the
merger of the National Student Association (NSA) and the National
Student Lobby (NSL), the USSA
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a force for equity and justice in higher education and led many
movements to make higher education more affordable, accessible, and
inclusive. 

The NSA's roots trace back to the 1946 Prague Convention, where
students from 36 nations—including the U.S.—gathered to form the
International Union of Students. This global solidarity inspired the
NSA’s founding at the University of Wisconsin the following year,
where it famously adopted the _Student Bill of Rights_. The NSA's
history wasn’t without controversy; it faced significant financial
challenges in the 1950s and was covertly funded
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the CIA (unbeknownst to the vast majority of its membership and
leaders) until the partnership dissolved in 1967. This period pushed
the organization to refocus its efforts on domestic issues, such as
racial inequality and opposition to the Vietnam War.

Tim Jenkins, an early Vice President of NSA, was also a founder of the
Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Credit: SNCC Legacy Project

In 1971, a group of Californians broke off from the NSA to form the
National Student Lobby (NSL) as they wanted to focus on more
legislative priorities. The NSL lobbied
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increased funding for the Higher Education Act of 1972, best known for
its creation of Title IX which prohibited discrimination on the basis
of sex in institutions receiving federal funding. They also lobbied to
increase minimum wage and for the abolition of the Vietnam War draft.
Similarly, the NSA opposed the war and, controversially, their
president visited
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Vietnam in hopes of finding evidence of the U.S. violating
international law. This infamously made the NSA a member of President
Nixon’s enemy list, a culmination of his political opponents and
enemies.

After this, the NSA became more focused on lobbying and legislation
and collaborated with the NSL a few years later, thus forming the
United States Student Association as an advocacy coalition of hundreds
of thousands of students across the country. The USSA was an integral
part in advocating against tuition increases and for allowing students
to be eligible for credit cards. 

For years, the USSA was the largest student-run, student-led
organization in the entire country. The USSA ran for nearly 39 years
until its collapse in 2016 when it finally succumbed to the structural
and financial hardships it had been facing for the better part of a
decade. This fate was not unique to the USSA. Many statewide student
associations and other student-led advocacy groups faced similar
challenges that drastically reduced their operations or led to their
collapse altogether. This has been seen in states such as Wisconsin,
New Jersey, and Arizona where the ability to fund statewide student
associations using student fees has been severely diminished or
completely abolished.

USSA occupied the entrance of a student loan servicer, demanding debt
forgiveness in 2012. Credit: Chris Hicks

Although the USSA collapsed
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2016, the organization’s legacy endures through the student leaders
it empowered, many of whom continue to champion equity and justice
across a wide range of fields. It's some of these very same student
leaders who have been invaluable in the current efforts to reform and
revive the United States Student Association.

Where We Are

In April of 2024, a group of student leaders and alumni met in
Washington D.C. to discuss the return of the USSA. This initial
convening featured representatives from four of the strongest
statewide student associations in the country, the Washington Student
Association (WSA), the Oregon Student Association (OSA), the
University of California Student Association (UCSA), and the Arizona
Student Association (ASA). 

This initial convening was the first instance of student leaders
coming together to amplify the student voice at the national level
since the collapse of the USSA. Following this convening, these
leaders among others have been holding biweekly student leadership
calls in order to bring back the USSA.

Student leaders from Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona, New
York, Florida, North Carolina, Massachusetts, and Minnesota met
frequently throughout the summer to discuss the revival of the USSA,
learn from each others efforts in their respective states, and learn
more about federal advocacy and student leadership from USSA alumni
who are now leaders in their respective fields. These calls were and
continue to be open to students nationwide irrespective of their
leadership role on their campus. Our only requirement is that they
must be a currently enrolled student in order to be involved with this
work.

One notable example of the revival effort’s momentum was an alumni
panel hosted during one of these calls, where former USSA leaders
shared their insights on advocacy, leadership, and the importance of
student mobilization. The panel, which included alumni who held
previous leadership roles within the USSA and their respective
statewide student associations, provided their perspectives and
thoughts on navigating the challenges students face and the strategies
that have worked in the past. These alumni emphasized the significance
of collective action and the power of students uniting around common
goals, offering advice on how current student leaders can organize
effectively at both the state and federal levels.

On September 30th 2024, these student leaders voted on a formal plan
to officially revive the association entitled_ Project Restart_. This
plan, spanning from September of 2024 to May of 2025, marks the steps
that students are going to take to finally bring back the USSA. The
plan includes building a national student network, training student
leaders in advocacy, and culminates in hosting a national convening
and student lobby day in Washington, D.C., in spring of 2025, where
students will officially vote to reestablish the association by
adopting new governing documents and electing new leadership.

As part of _Project Restart_, the USSA has formed three
committees—Policy, Outreach, and Operations—which are charged with
specific duties in preparation for the spring convening. These
committees are actively seeking additional members and will hold
regular meetings over the next several months. This structure ensures
that the revival effort remains collaborative, transparent, and
action-oriented.

Former USSA President Tiffany Dena Loftin working with current
students in D.C.

This effort to revive the USSA, comes at a time when many of these
student leaders have recognized that it has likely never been more
difficult to be a student. The rising cost of education is only the
beginning of the struggle—students are increasingly burdened with
skyrocketing tuition, mounting student loan debt, a lack of affordable
housing, and access to basic needs. The pressure to succeed
academically, while managing these crises, is overwhelming. These
issues affect not only the well-being of students but also their
ability to succeed in higher education at all.

But it’s not just the external pressures students face that are
concerning, it’s also the deliberate erosion of their power to act
collectively. Over the past decade or so, student leaders have
witnessed an increasing trend of their influence being stripped away,
both on campuses and within legislative arenas. From state-level
budget cuts that weaken student governance structures to other
policies designed to silence dissent and marginalize student voices,
it’s clear that there is a concerted effort to suppress student
movements. In Washington State, for instance, a broadly written law
(RCW 28B.10.281
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to revoke financial aid for students who participate in demonstrations
that disrupt the educational process at an institution. While there is
no record of this law being enforced, it’s especially concerning
given recent efforts from pro-Palestinian organizers who have seen
their efforts be targeted by university administration, local
authorities, and elected officials across the country. The mere
existence of a policy such as this one disproportionately impacts
low-income and first-generation students, who depend greatly on
financial aid and may feel forced to choose between exercising their
right to protest and preserving their ability to afford an education.

Across the country, student governments have been targeted with
restrictions on their power to advocate for essential services, access
to resources, and policy changes that benefit students. In some cases,
student groups are being defunded or denied the ability to hold events
that are critical for raising awareness and driving change.
Legislative attacks on student advocacy groups and higher education
funding reflect a broader trend aimed at stifling student-led
movements that have historically pushed for systemic reforms and
greater equity in education. These efforts are not only an affront to
student voices, they are a direct attempt to dismantle the very
foundation of student-led advocacy.

At a time when student activism is needed more than ever, the forces
that seek to suppress student power only make the work of student
leaders that much harder. As mentioned earlier, one of the groups
present at the initial convening to discuss the revival of the USSA
was the Oregon Student Association (OSA). Tragically, despite its
long-standing history of advocacy and wins for students in Oregon, the
OSA was forced to shut down in 2024. The organization faced mounting
financial pressures and structural challenges that made its
continuation unsustainable.

The death of the OSA is a sobering reminder of how fragile student-led
organizations can be, even when they have a proven track record of
success. It underscores the urgency of reviving a national student-led
body that can advocate for policies protecting student organizations
and empowering them to fight back against the forces working to
suppress their voices. Without such a unified effort, the void left by
organizations like the OSA will only grow, leaving students more
vulnerable to systemic inequities and silencing.

The revival of the USSA is a response to this intentional
marginalization and recent history of organizational decline, a
reclaiming of the space that students have historically occupied as
advocates for themselves and their peers. The challenges we face are
immense, but so is the power we have when we stand united. Now, more
than ever, it is critical that we restore the USSA to ensure that
students once again have a powerful, coordinated voice in the fight
for equity, justice, and a higher education system that serves all.

Where We’re Headed

What began as a conversation among a few student leaders in an NEA
conference room has now grown into a national movement. Today, the
revival of the USSA involves leaders from ten states and hundreds of
campuses across America, collectively representing over four million
students.

This effort is grounded in a fundamental truth about organizing and
advocacy: those directly impacted by systemic issues must lead the
fight for change. Students, as the primary stakeholders in higher
education, are uniquely positioned to champion policies that address
their needs. Whether it’s fighting for affordable tuition, expanding
access to financial aid, or addressing systemic inequities, the lived
experiences of these students are critical in shaping effective
solutions.

The USSA’s revival is not just about rebuilding an organization,
it’s about reigniting a movement. The challenges facing students
today, from rising tuition costs to a mental health crisis, demand
bold, collective action. By uniting students across the country, the
USSA aims to restore higher education as a public good and a pathway
to opportunity for all.

As the USSA prepares for its formal relaunch in spring 2025, it
invites all students to join this historic effort. The association’s
vision is clear: a unified, student-led movement that amplifies the
voices of millions and transforms higher education for the better. 

The USSA’s legacy reminds us of what is possible when students
organize and act collectively. Its revival shows that, even after
years of dormancy, the spirit of student advocacy remains alive and
well. Now more than ever, students must come together, share their
stories, and lead the charge for a brighter future.

_Sean Behl is a student leader who currently attends the University of
Washington. He is the Vice President of Community and Technical
College Student Affairs at the Washington Student Association, the
Director of Legislative Affairs at the Associated Students of the
University of Washington and was recently elected to serve as the
Chair of the United States Student Association Operations Committee._

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* college students
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* US Student Association
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* SNCC
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