Victoria University of Wellington Students' Association
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Outrage at Victoria University's underhanded fee tactics.

Victoria University's upper management is once again using underhanded tactics to increase student fees. Victoria University is considering an application to the Tertiary Education Commission for a 10% increase for fees in humanities and social sciences, education, architecture and law, recent sources revealed. These fee increases would take place in the second trimester of 2007. This application was initially kept confidential, until exposed for public debate at Monday's University Council meeting.

Victoria applied for an exemption from the Annual Fee Movement Limit (AFML) in 2006. The university's exemption was denied, however they are now planning to increase fees in some faculties from the 5% AFML to 10% in 2007.

Victoria University Students' Association President Geoff Hayward is outraged: "The worst case scenario for students is coming to fruition. Students feared that the 5% maximum fee increase would become the norm and that universities will consistently attempt to raise fees 10% per annum. More troubling, these decisions have almost been made behind closed doors without student input."

"These same tertiary students are already under financial pressure. Wellington students are facing a crisis of accommodation and ever-increasing living costs. Students in the capital must cope with high rent payments, increasing transport costs and inflated food prices."

As national student debt approaches $9 billion, fee increases highlight the unwillingness of the Government to address tertiary issues and university management's preference to pass costs onto already over-burdened students.

"Without consultation, thousands of students would have to pay the increase not even knowing it had happened… They wouldn't be able to express their opinions or take action on an issue which has huge ramifications for their studies and their lives."

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