Fee boycott at SCU

Fee boycott at SCU

By Bernard Wunsch

LISMORE — The administration of Southern Cross University has imposed an up-front fee of $18 on all students enrolling this year. In response, the Students Representative Council is organising a boycott.

SRC education officer Brad Cleary told Green Left Weekly that the fee is "just a cynical money grabbing exercise by the administration. Students and staff were not informed of this charge until this year.

"We are organising a boycott of this fee because loads of students are angry at having to pay and want us to do something. We will keep up the pressure until the administration revokes the fee and refunds those students who have paid."

It is estimated that the university will raise $150,000 from the fee. The SRC has been told that the fee is for student ID cards, the student handbook and other administration. "These items should be paid for by federal funding, not out of students' pockets. There is nothing to stop them from increasing this fee and introducing more charges", Cleary said.

From GLW issue 306