UEA has spent almost £1.3 million on summer 2024 graduation ceremonies alone, Concrete can reveal. 

Held in July, the graduation week saw almost 5,000 students celebrate achieving their degrees, with a total income of £241,560 from guest ticket sales. 

The University’s total expenditure for the event was £1,294,415, meaning this income covered only 18.7% of the total cost.  

The most significant expenses were recorded as’ Event production’, at £1,171,502, followed by ‘Venue and Estates’, at £49,410, and ‘Park & Ride’, at £35,616. Additional costs included staff for cleaning, security, and medical services*, at £ 20,196, and ‘catering and accommodation’, at £ 17,691.  

Overall, the income and expenditure for the week-long event resulted in a significant deficit of £1,052,855. 

The figures—made public through Freedom of Information Request 24-189—come to light after widespread frustration at the introduction of a new £20 fee for ceremony guest tickets, which were previously free of charge.  

A group of PPL students, who asked to remain anonymous, told Concrete back in March how “outraged” they were that the university was charging the fee “on top of our £9k a year tuition” during the middle of a significant cost-of-living crisis for students and their families.   

Reflecting on this and the release of these figures, UEA SU’s Welfare, Community and Diversity Officer, Nathan Wyatt, commented: “It is no wonder that with £1.3 million in costs, UEA wanted to recuperate that from their students.” 

“Given the hardship that many students have faced this past year, it still hardly seems fair that they were charged so much to only cover 20% of the running costs…It just adds to the feeling that students were being milked out of every last penny they had. I was proud earlier this year to launch the graduation reimbursement fund, which helped many of the poorest and most vulnerable students at UEA. In future, UEA should consider student’s financial difficulties before charging them, and have similar schemes in place.”

In response to this article, a university spokesperson said, “Graduation is a significant milestone for our students, and therefore, we understand the value of producing an event that matches their achievements while also being mindful that it remains cost-efficient. 

“The reported figures for ticket revenues, which were in line with what we had forecasted, highlight that UEA’s contribution of 81.3% towards the total cost matches the importance with which we view it.”  

*These are direct costs. Please note that University staff who work at Graduation do so as part of their substantive contract and are not costed directly. 

Please note that the figure provided for total income from guest ticket sales is estimated and does not account for VAT or any refunds.  

Please also note that the expenditure figure is also estimated against purchase orders raised as of 19th of July 2024, and finalised invoices are still to be accounted for.