The Canadian Federation of Students was formed in 1981 to provide students with an effective and united voice, provincially and nationally. At the time, it was recognized that for students to be truly effective in representing their collective interests to the federal and provincial governments, it was vital to unite under one banner.

Today, the Federation comprises more than 500,000 students from over 80 university and college students' unions across the country. There are 5 member locals in Manitoba uniting over 42,000 part-time and full-time students.

Because universities and colleges are funded primarily by the federal government and administered exclusively by the provincial government, government policies and priorities determine the quality and accessibility of post-secondary education in Canada.

Tuition fee levels, student financial assistance programs and funding for research are all set directly or indirectly by both levels of government. Thus, it is vital that students collectively organize at the provincial and national levels to ensure that students' rights and concerns are fully represented.

Strength in numbers

No individual students' union, no matter how big or active, has the resources or the political clout on their own to effectively influence the post-secondary education policies of the provincial and federal governments. At best, an individual students' union could have an impact on a few electoral ridings. Governments ignore groups that pose no political threat to them. It's also much more cost effective for a large number of students' unions to pool their resources and to work in partnership than for each to undertake this work on its own.

Through the Federation, students' unions collectively pool their resources to provide student owned and operated services such as the Studentsaver discount card, the National Student Health Network, Travel CUTS, and the Student Work Abroad Program.

Decisions made democratically

Each students' union has an equal say in setting the policies, direction and priorities of the Federation including how funds are spent. All major decisions are made at provincial and national congresses four times annually at which every member students' union is represented.