National Student Partnerships (NSP) is college students volunteering in the fight to break the cycle of poverty in the United States.

NSP envisions a day when all people in our country will have the opportunity to achieve economic independence and pursue their life goals. Our mission is to alleviate poverty in our communities by engaging our nation’s college students in this effort. NSP recruits and trains a diverse corps of undergraduates who make a rigorous and sustained commitment to service while in school. Our student advocates work side-by-side with low-income community members, first helping them address immediate needs (e.g. employment, housing, health care, public benefits, and/or education), then providing comprehensive, long-term support designed to help families break the cycle of poverty. Simultaneously, our student leaders gain the direct exposure, insight, and compassion necessary to be lifelong advocates for systemic change on poverty policy, regardless of the professional path they ultimately pursue. Our local NSP offices collaborate with a comprehensive network of social service agencies to guarantee a meaningful client experience and to prevent duplication of community efforts.

Founded by college undergraduates in 1998, NSP operates a national network of drop-in resource centers, staffed by student volunteers from area colleges and universities. Since its inception, more than 5,000 student advocates have helped over 30,000 individuals and their families on a path out of poverty.