The Students’ Union was appalled when, at the start of September, the University signaled its intention to raise 2016-17 tuition fees for both incoming and returning undergraduates. Despite being cited as “in line with inflation”, the proposed increase mirrored similar price-hikes introduced at institutions around the country, and was entirely at the University’s own discretion. Prior to its announcement, at no point were Sabbatical Officers or members of the student body consulted regarding this decision.

Following immediate pressure from the Sabbatical Officer team, we were thankfully able to stop the proposed increase for 2016 Freshers and returning students - meaning that fees remain at the previous ‘bargain’ rate of £9000 for the coming year. Unfortunately, despite our best efforts, we weren’t able to prevent fees being raised for next year’s incoming undergraduates, and these will now increase to £9,250 for first-year students in the 2017-18 academic year.

Despite halting this belated fee-hike for current students, in a wider context this sadly does not represent a victory in any meaningful sense. Clearly, if allowed to go unchallenged, such actions set an alarming precedent for future years, while offering yet another stark glimpse into the creeping marketisation of Higher Education proposed by the government’s recent HE Bill.

Nonetheless, this win shows the power of students' unions and how crucial it is that we stand up and challenge the University on these key issues. We cannot rely on institutions to make these changes out of their own goodwill - we have to continue to exert pressure wherever and whenever damaging decisions are being made.