Students furious about secret fee rise

Students furious about secret fee rise

Students at Victoria University are furious that the University Council voted to increase fees by 4.5 percent despite strong, vocal opposition from many students who were prevented from attending the public meeting.

"The University has shown complete disregard for its students by secretly agreeing to a huge fee rise that will plunge students deeper into debt," said Amanda Hill, President of the Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association (VUWSA) and Student Member of the University Council.

Several hundred students were prevented from attending the fees setting meeting and chanted angrily outside the Hunter Building at the Council who re-located to a private location to raise student fees.

"The University is a public institution and arrogantly broke the law by preventing hundreds of students and the public from attending the meeting."

"This fee rise is a greedy cash grab to line the coffers of the University and fund more pointless marketing campaigns and dysfunctional buildings," said Hill.

"The Government should consider themselves on notice in the lead up to the 2005 election: students will not tolerate further fee rises and even more student debt," said Hill.

"Students will not give up the fight against fee increases and will continue to fight against this attack on students."

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