Coming Clean: our Hidden Course Costs campaign

Izzy John, Welfare Officer

Context of campaign• Tuition fee rise and potential impact• Arbitrary increases in PG and International

Fees• NUS “Pound in your Pocket” and “Come

Clean” campaign• On-going issues with SLC• General increase in students working part-

time whilst studying

Warwick-specific

• 2010/11 – wins in terms of bursaries; however failed to meet access targets

• Implementing maximum fee cap of £9000• University desire to focus on the “student

experience” • Financial costs a consistent feature of student

feedback • 600 responses to NUS Survey

Our priority campaign

• Largely “behind the scenes” – our own data gathering and research

• How much does it really cost to be a student at Warwick? Accommodation, course texts, transport, food on campus.

• 4 Union policies – Action on Access; Against Tuition Fees, Hidden Course Costs, The £ in your Pocket

NUS Week of ActionConcept: a bit more hard hitting, visual campaign

NUS online receipt totalizer and paper receipts

“Costs cage” in central piazza

Posters in SU and all halls

Wrote to VC and Academic Registrar

2 AMEs

Slogans

• “I think the University should continue to invest in bursaries ”

• “I think it’s unfair that I have to pay for textbooks on top of my tuition fees”

• “I think there should be more means-tested support available for students whilst they’re studying”

• “I think the cost of travel to compulsory placements should be included in my tuition fees”

• “I think all departments should have a certain number of free printer credits for each student”

Pros Cons

• Very simple and low cost• Engaging and relevant• Visual (facebook)• Tied into an existing

campaign as well as the week of action

• Good feedback from some students

• Good way to keep the ball rolling on costs issue – can function as a longstanding campaign

• Timing (last week of term, everyone very tired and busy!)

• Difficulty with cage• Hard to follow up on

immediately afterwards • Inconsistency with receipts

(types of student, duration of costs)

• Some students didn’t feel it was relevant to them

Outputs• To date, over 160 submissions made to our

online receipt, totalling over £47,000• 76 paper receipts filled out• About 50 letters sent to 3 different MPs• 7 MPs lobbied directly in Parliament

Next steps

• Inputting data (a lot of it!) and determining trends• Persuading and influencing (compare to other

Universities, commitment from UUK/Guild HE)• “Come Clean” lobby / writing to MPs• OFFA Access Agreement• Anecdotal pressure points (breakfast, uni cards).

Petition? • Formulating recommendations • Handover to new sabb team

Questions?Comments?

Your campaigns / brainstorming

welfare@warwicksu.com