19 Oct 2015

Auckland uni students protest fee increases

7:48 pm on 19 October 2015

The New Zealand University Students' Association says the Auckland University Council has agreed to raise tuition fees by the maximum allowed - three percent.

Student protesters at the University of Auckland

Student protesters at the University of Auckland Photo: Radio NZ / Alex Ashton

About 100 students protested as the Council met today against any further increases.

Students Association president Rory McCourt said the University had today opted for a full three percent rise.

Mr McCourt said high fees were not just a problem at Auckland University - but across the country.

He said the University's fees had gone up 50 percent in the past 10 years, which works out to $2400 per student.

Speaking to 100 students who gathered at the University of Auckland to protest against fee increases today, Mr McCourt said the University Council needed to ask the government for more funding, rather than push extra costs on to students.

"Here they are, going off in their unmarked cars to an unknown destination to do an undisclosed thing to undisclosed students. When was the last time they grew a spine and publicly spoke out about the government shifting debt onto us?"

Mr McCourt said student debt was expected to reach $15 billion by February.