PressALSF Launches #RefundMyFees Campaign

December 18, 2020
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

18th of December 2020

The Australian Liberal Students’ Federation has today launched a nationwide petition campaign to call upon Australian Universities to refund the Student Services Amenities Fee that was charged in the year 2020.

“2020 has been an incredibly tough year for students all across Australia” said ALSF President Blake Keating.

“During these difficult times students have struggled to find and maintain work while also having the added burdens of completing their studies without the usual amenities and services provided to them”

“Universities have forced students to pay for or to place on their student debt I fee for services and amenities that they weren’t able to access for most of the year, and in some cases still aren’t able to access”

During COVID-19 many Universities have continued to charge fees to students while some have put in place compassionate programs of reduced payment.

“The SSAF was always unfair, but this year that unfairness has been highlighted like never before” said ALSF Policy Director Zedekiah Sparks.

“COVID-19 and the inability of students to access campus services and amenities made campus life almost impossible.”

“It’s worth noting that only around 20% of Australian universities made any kind of concession to the SSAF being collected, even then it was only slight discounts rather than not charging it for the year’

The ALSF has launched a website where students can sign the petition called refundmyfees.com.au where the petitioner can select the University that they are attending to ensure that we can tell each individual University how many students have asked for a refund on their University campus.

“This is the first new initiative that the Federation has launched in some time” said ALSF President Blake Keating.

“Our core mission as a Federation has always been voluntary student unionism and the SSAF, so we believe this campaign fits closely in the core messaging the Federation has been undertaking for some time”

The ALSF is aiming to present the petitions to Universities in the first 4 months of 2021.

ENDS

ALSF Admin