Durham’s tuition fee hike is a slap in the face to students

We are being ignored, again


Durham’s decision to raise tuition fees over £9,000, before parliament has even voted on the bill that would make this possible, is the latest insult to students in Durham.

By announcing it will raise fees to £9,250 Durham has unilaterally decided to lend support to a controversial Conservative policy before it is even law.

The Government HE Bill is deeply problematic and threatens to make universities more costly for students and less secure for academics. This is a slap in the face to attempts by Durham students to engage constructively with their university to lower costs.

The NUS which, despite its flaws, Durham recently voted overwhelmingly to stay part of, have been engaging constructively with the Government trying to secure the best deal for students and have won concrete concessions. The same is true of academic unions such as UCU and our own DSU Officers in Durham.

As the political debate over this controversial bill is still ongoing, this is a time for students, lecturers and universities to be united defending higher education.

Durham has been under new management for a year, and when our new Vice-Chancellor Stuart Corbridge came in last October he promised to make dialogue with students and increasing diversity and accessibility top priorities.

Sadly, we seem to have had a change in figurehead, but not a change in style.

You can sign the petition calling for the reverse of the fee rise here