By law universities have caps on how much they can raise fees each year. Subsequently, course fees are rising six percent this year as voted on by the University Council last week, because of course they are. A university spokesperson told Salient they would in future ensure VUWSA and students were aware of the government’s consultation period, but did not promise consultation with students before raising its own fees. “Students taking arts and humanities courses represent a substantial portion of our total students, so the impact of this change in funding is significant. It also comes at a time when inflation is high, and costs are higher for our students, staff, and suppliers.