On 22nd February, an email sent on behalf of the Graduation Team at UEA announced the cost of graduation tickets. Graduating students will have their ticket free of charge, whilst any guests must pay an additional cost.
Whilst previous years had entitled each graduating student to three free tickets for the ceremony, the university are now charging £20 for these ‘whole event’ guest tickets. The £20 ticket includes a seat in the ceremony hall and admission to the festival area. Each graduating student can purchase up to three ‘whole event’ guest tickets. There are also ‘Festival only’ tickets, costing £10 per head, which include admission to the festival area in the Sportspark grounds with a live screening of the ceremony and live music.
These ticket prices come as part of an already expensive experience for many students. With gown and hat hire coming to £69 for the day and between £40-100 for photos, the graduation ceremony last year already came with a £109 minimum price tag. This doesn’t include the price some graduates’ guests may pay for accommodation or travel. The Student Union team calculated that the average student will easily be paying over £150 for their ceremony.
After meeting with the university on 5th March, the SU’s Postgraduate Officer Elise Page posted on Instagram that UEA had explained “They need to save £500k on graduation costs, and expect the ticket charge to raise £180-200k… Even though the event is in a university venue, they have to modify the space a lot, which in turn costs a lot.” They also explained that the university did not have an answer when asked “why students weren’t consulted,” and “why the poorest students have to bear the brunt of UEA’s cost-saving measures.” They suggested that while “UEA won’t u-turn and remove the charge… The [SU] officers are currently exploring plans for… a more affordable alternative.”
Many students have taken to the anonymous Facebook submission page: ‘Concrete Confessions Between UEA Seshions’ to raise their concerns with the university. One student said, “I finished my degree last year and have struggled financially since and finding work. I was looking forward to celebrating my achievement at graduation but I’m not sure how I’m going to afford it now.” Another, highlighting the anger felt by students, said “The university can just… start charging £20 for a graduation ticket with no consequences? No consultations? The mask is off. They do not care about students in the slightest. It is pure greed. We have students offering to pay other students for the tickets. We have plenty of goodwill on our side. What does the university have? Not even an ounce of shame. £9250 is just a number to them. Students are just cash cows.”
The anger continued across social media with a joint officer post by the Student’s Union garnering 1,656 likes and 69 comments on Instagram alone. In their officer statement they highlighted that “We are extremely disappointed by the announcement today of graduation costs for the guests. In a cost-of-living crisis it is irresponsible for the university to place extra cost burdens on students and families. The Student’s Union will be reaching out to the colleagues at the university to understand the rationale behind this decision and to fight against these changes. It is clear from this decision today that the UEA believes that graduation is only for students that can afford it.”
Some other universities have also started charging for graduation ceremonies, such as the University of Aberdeen charging £13.20 last year and University of London charging £35 overall. These events take place on The Old Campus, and The Barbican Centre respectively.
Speaking to the BBC, Taylor Sounes (Undergrad SU Officer) and Luke Johnson (Activities and Opportunities SU Officer), highlighted this fact once more. “This is going to price out a subset of students and families who will not be able to afford that. We have had students come to us saying ‘£40 is my parent’s food budget for the week’.”
The university stated that the event would not make a profit and the £20 ticket included entry to a ‘festival zone” with live music. They also said that “A charge for guest tickets has been introduced for this year to support some of the running costs and to ensure that we can continue to provide an event of this standard on campus. Charging for guests to attend graduation ceremonies is a standard practice in many universities and we believe that our ceremony offers value for money and an excellent celebration for our students and their guests.”
Image: Concrete/Matthew Stothard
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