The Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) was created in 1891 and is the only organization at Stanford of which every student is a member. The ASSU provides funding to over seven hundred Volunteer Student Organizations (VSOs). These organizations in turn provide the majority of cultural, political, recreational, and social programming for the entire campus. The financial independence that the ASSU affords student groups is one of the founding principles of the organization.

The ASSU also works to represent the interests, needs, and perspectives of Stanford students at every level within the university. The ASSU advocates on behalf of students across a number of issues, including affordability, diversity, social life, and community spaces.

Each year, the ASSU pursues innovative projects and creates new services that will improve the quality of student life offered at Stanford.