UEA students 'outraged' over £20 graduation tickets

UEA students attending their graduation already pay £45 for gown hire

A university has been accused of "money-grabbing" for charging to have guests at graduation ceremonies.

Graduates at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich could previously invite people for free but now have to buy tickets at £20 each.

Students' Union officers told BBC Radio Norfolk there was "outrage" on campus, with a small subset priced out.

The UEA, which has a multimillion-pound deficit, said the charge supported some of the running costs.

As reported in the Eastern Daily Press, the ceremonies are held in mid-July at the UEA's Sportspark.

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Students approached on campus by the BBC described the charge as "extortionate" and "exploitative", especially as graduation is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for many.

Taylor Sounes (left) and Luke Johnson said they were concerned about students and families who could not afford to attend

Luke Johnson, activities and opportunities officer, said graduation costs could easily run into hundreds of pounds, when factoring in food, travel, accommodation and the £45 charge for gown hire.

"This is going to price out a subset of students and families who will not be able to afford that," he added.

"We have had students come to us saying '£40 is my parents' food budget for the week'."

He added the move "undermined" the university's effort to encourage admissions from students from wider backgrounds.

Other universities charged, he added, but this usually covered venue costs at a cathedral or sports ground, not a "glammed-up" Sportspark, which felt like a "kick in the teeth".

The UEA said the charge supported the events' running costs

The University of Aberdeen introduced a charge of £13.20 last year, while attending a University of London graduation ceremony costs £35.

Mr Johnson and undergraduate education officer Taylor Sounes hope to meet with the UEA to ask them to reconsider.

"Students work so hard to get their degrees, and it's often their family and loved ones who get them through it," said Ms Sounes.

"To be worrying about how they can afford to have their loved ones at the event to celebrate their hard work - that's a really hard place for students to be."

The ceremonies are held at the Sportspark on the UEA site

In a statement, the university said the event did not make a profit and the £20 ticket included entry to a "festival zone" with live music.

"UEA graduation is a non-profit-making event," it added.

"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 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."