Toni Pearce is the National President of the National Union of Students (NUS) and, as such, represents over 600 students’ unions and seven million students. Toni is the first NUS President who has not been to university. She believes in shaping the future of education to help create a fairer society and is passionate about the power of students to drive change.

Having studied at Cornwall College before serving as President of Cornwall College Students' Union from 2009 to 2011, Toni was elected NUS Vice-President (Further Education) in 2011 and then President in 2013. During her time as President of NUS, Toni has secured a range of political wins for students. She has seen 24+ advanced learner loan fees scraped for apprentices; has seen proposals to cut the disabled students’ allowance dropped for 2014/15 and reassessed; and has secured a commitment from the government to introduce Sharia compliant student loans.

Toni also secured significant concessions to the Lobbying Act, including through sitting as a Commissioner on the Commission on Civil Society and Democratic Engagement.