Students ‘caged’ by hidden costs

Students have to pay over £43,000 in hidden course costs, according to figures for the ‘Caged by Costs’ (CBC) campaign.

CBC hit campus in Week 10, ran by Warwick Students’ Union (SU), aiming to unearth more accurate figures regarding hidden course costs.

Hidden course costs are those not included the tuition fees paid to universities. These range from costs of core text books and printing credits to lab coats and other necessary equipment.

Students were encouraged to share the amount of money they have had to spend on hidden course costs, either on paper or online.

The cumulative total of just the online student response reached over £43,000 by the end of the week.

Students were also invited to pose for a photograph in a cage in the piazza, to symbolise how students are becoming increasingly ‘Caged by Costs’.

CBC was part of a week of action over hidden costs by the National Union of Students (NUS), as well as the SU’s wider campaign ‘The Pound in your Pocket’.

The data collected will be presented to the Vice Chancellor, who the SU will then ask to commit to being more transparent about these hidden costs.

Data was also collected nationwide in order for NUS to lobby Parliament on 18 April.

According to Welfare Officer, Izzy John, the SU aims to talk to University senior management to see how they can help absorb or offset these costs, looking towards the possibility of investing in more core texts for the library and providing students with some printer credits free of charge at the beginning of each academic year.

Matt Rogers, SU Societies Officer, explained how CBC was “a two-fold project”, aimed at raising student awareness regarding the hidden costs, while being “an effective way of showing that it is not just another faceless statistic.”

As well as being able to raise awareness across campus, Rogers said there is “a very real possibility that we can get some serious concessions for students in this area.”

Pete MacMillan, second-year Mathematics student, said, “We expect to have to pay extra costs for the likes of books and computer programmes, but it is stupid when we are told that we need to buy them and then only have to use them once.”

Second-year MMORSE student Dominic Huntley, said, “It is good to see the SU being proactive and getting students involved. At least we’re actually doing something about it.”

The wider ‘The Pound in your Pocket’ campaign hopes to sustain action against the costs involved in studying at Warwick. This will see more events taking place throughout term three, including more ‘teach-in’s and debates.