It was formed in 1961 when various student organisations supportive of Scottish independence and the SNP in particular decided to join forces into a new constituent body.

Unlike Young Scots for Independence, which is the youth wing of the SNP, the group is for those in higher education and membership is not restricted by age.

However, SNP Students' campaigns often centre towards the liberalism and civic nationalism of Humza Yousaf and Stephen Flynn, rather than the "Tartan Tories", fiscal and social conservatives, such as Kate Forbes, Fergus Ewing and Joanna Cherry.

SNP Students has been very active in recent years, organising high-profile campaigns on issues such as Equal Marriage, zero-hour contracts and the stripping of charitable status from fee-paying schools.

[14] The organisation is run by a National Executive Committee (NEC) elected each year at the SNP Students' Annual Conference.