Recognising the need to continue the training, funding, and organisational support previously provided by NZSAC, ASPA was founded as a collective effort to ensure the survival and development of student media across the country.
ASPA’s first major initiative was the organisation of annual training conferences, beginning in 1992, to provide student editors and staff with practical skills in areas such as editorial management, advertising, and ethical journalism.
Around this time, the organisation also adopted a "Statement of Principles" to guide ethical reporting and reinforce editorial independence, a response to the precarious balance between maintaining freedom of the press and meeting the demands of funding bodies like student associations.
The loss of NZSAC’s funding forced ASPA to rely on contributions from individual student associations, whose priorities often conflicted with supporting collective initiatives.
In 1993, ASPA transitioned into a charitable trust, a move designed to reduce administrative burdens while maintaining its focus on training and advocacy for student media.