Its predecessor organization was called the Association of Democratic Students (German: Vereinigung Demokratischer Studenten, VDS).

A part of the Vienna KSV eventually boycotted the Congress and founded the Kommunistischer Student_innenverband – Linke Liste (KSV-LiLi).

In the ÖH elections of 2009 and 2011, a direct mandate was also won in the federal representation of the Austrian National Union of Students.

In a 2011 interview, a KSV-Lili representative stated that they categorically distance themselves from "real socialism," while the KSV claims to maintain a nuanced view of the past.

Furthermore, the KSV expresses solidarity with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), while the KSV-Lili defends Israel’s sovereignty.

[16] In 2018, a controversy at the University of Graz arose concerning the purchase of a Nespresso coffee machine by the ÖH executive team.

The purchase, initiated by members of the Unabhängige Fachschaftslisten, VSStÖ, and GRAS, was not disclosed to either the university's student representatives or the financial committee.

Georg Erkinger, the chair of the financial committee from the KSV, heavily criticized the acquisition, estimating that the total cost over 10 years would exceed €40,000.

[17] As the situation gained attention in both media and social networks, the pressure led to the resignation of ÖH Chairman Bernhard Wieser, who was involved in the undisclosed purchase alongside Finance Officer Amar Menkovic.