Sofia University Students Protest Fee Hike

Students from the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski are staging a protest Wednesday afternoon against a planned fee hike.

The students oppose a decision from January 30, 2013 of the University's Academic Council stipulating an 8% increase in fees in all departments of the university for the 2013/2014 academic year.

"We believe that it is highly immoral of the oldest and most prestigious university in Bulgaria to increase tuition fees at a time of growing poverty and unemployment. Statistics is compelling enough: according to data of the National Statistical Institute (NSI), 22.3% of Bulgarians live below the poverty line. According to data of the European Commission, each fourth young person aged 15-24 is long-term unemployed. As a result, many students do not have the opportunity to work and pay for their education. Our parents cannot afford to pay more and more money for fees each semester," the students say in a declaration.

"We believe that it is a disgrace that we should be treated as "walking fees" by our own university for which we fought to study at and which should defend our constitutional right to affordable public education," Sofia University students declare.

The protest is scheduled for 2 pm in the Sofia University's back yard.