The fight for student rights delivers: Registration fees are not increased!

As stated in a government announcement, public universities will not get permission to increase registration fees as requested by the universities last december. The minister of higher education, science and innovation previously decided that the registration fee would not be increased during last spring´s parliament session. This was announced in the wake of the Student Council campaign from March this year, called “Stúdentar splæsa” [Students pay the bill], where the Student Council fought against the increase of registration fees. It is great news for students that public universities will not get permission to increase the registration fee.

The history of this fight dates almost a decade back when registration fees were increased from 60.000 ISK to 75.000 ISK in 2014. The increase was strongly protested by the Student Council, who also complained to the University Council and later to the Althingi Ombudsman. Over the last three years the fight has been intense and the Student Council has launched campaigns regarding the registration fee.

The matter once again caused debate in the school year of 2020-2021. At the University Council meeting on February 6th, 2020, a increase of the University of Iceland registration fee from 75.000 ISK to 104.000 ISK in 2020 and to 107.000 ISK in 2021 was discussed. In the wake of this discussion, the Student Council published a statement to protest the increase. In March 2020, the Student Council sent a formal complaint regarding the registration fees to the Althingi Ombudsman and later in the same month it was confirmed by then minister of education and culture that registration fees would not be increased.

Last December it was announced at a University Council meeting that the principals of public universities had sent a joint letter to Áslaug Arna, the minister responsible for university matters. In the letter they requested permission to increase the registration fee from 75.000 ISK to 95.000 ISK. This was strongly critisized by student representatives in the University Council in the meeting minutes. Following the meeting, the Student Council published a statement describing grave concerns regarding the funding of the University of Iceland as well as strong criticism of the principals´ request. This caused the Student Council campaign which took place in March 2023. The campaign concluded in a peaceful student protest outside of the Ministerial House (Ráðherrabústaður) on March 10th, during a government meeting. Rebekka Karlsdóttir, the then president of the Student Council delivered a letter to the prime minister and the minister of finance and economic affairs with the main points of the Council, including questions to the ministers. This campaign was succesful and as stated above, the minister responsible for university matters announced that registration fees would not be increased in last spring´s parliamentary assembly and that university funding would be increased.

The registration fee is already too high!

In 2021 the Student Council launched a campaign called ,,Stúdentar eiga betra skilið” [Students deserve better]. The campaign focused on the economic certainty of students. In the campaign, the Student Council highlighted that registration fees were an additional burden on a social group that is already in a vulnerable position. The fact that it is not customary to pay burdensome fees to study at a university in the neighboring countries was also highlighted.

The Student Council celebrats the minister´s decision to not grant permission to increase the fee, but it must be emphasized that the fight is not over. Registration fees and other factors which add to the economic uncertainty of students is cause for concern. All future attempts to increase the fee will be met with full force by students. The Student Council has shown perseverance in protecting the interests of students and emphasizes the importance of students standing together in these matters.

But is the registration fee legal?

Although the minister´s announcement is great news, it is important to consider the fact that the Student Council has continuously questioned the legality of charging students any amount in registration fees. The Student Council finds that registration fees for public universities does not comply with the Act on public higher education institutions. We therefore strongly encourage the minister to take a step further and start work to review registration fees with a view to reducing or abolishing them.