1971 to 2001: The UNEF was split between UNEF-SE (Solidarité Étudiante, Students' solidarity) (linked to the French Communist Party) and UNEF-US (Unité Syndicale, Union Unity), which later evolved into UNEF-ID (Indépendante et Démocratique, Independence and democracy) (linked to the Internationalist Communist Organisation and close to the Socialist Party).

[4][5] In an editorial, more than 80 UNEF female members and militants have come forward to accuse the Union of "sexual violence".

[6] In December 2017, the president of the UNEF chapter in Nice, Paul Morançay resigned for covering up rape claims.

[10] In spite of multiple "pressions",[11] the daily newspaper Libération published in February 2018 a long article with sixteen testimonies of female activists who have suffered from rape, sexual harassment and abuse within the organisation.

[12] UNEF was the subject of controversy in 2021 when its president said during a radio interview that the union was holding meetings where white people were not allowed.