No Fee Hikes
These proposed fees would add financial strain on students while offering unclear benefits. The Student Affordability Coalition stands for affordability, transparency, and student voices in budget decisions.
We believe in accessible education and fair student services. Fee hikes should be accompanied by clear audits, community input, and accountable spending that protects every learner.
The AMS is asking you to bail out their multi-million dollar budget. Here is why you must vote NO between March 9th and 13th.
REFERENDUM 1: THE STUDENT SERVICES FEE
Vote NO to the “Forever Tax”
The AMS claims they need this brand-new fee to save essential services like the Food Bank and mental health resources. They are weaponizing these vital programs to emotionally manipulate students into passing a financially dangerous fee structure. Here is the reality:
We Are Not a Blank Cheque: Last year, the AMS blew their $30,000 legal budget by overspending an additional $31,000 on corporate lawyers. Students should not be forced to absorb a new permanent tax just because the AMS refuses to manage its own internal affairs responsibly.
The Inflation Trap: Read the fine print. This fee is indexed to the BC Consumer Price Index. Passing this referendum means authorizing an automatic, perpetual tax increase every single year. Once it passes, you lose your democratic right to ever vote on these fee hikes again. It is a forever tax.
Misplaced Priorities: The AMS claims they are out of money for the Food Bank, but their own 2025/2026 budget proves otherwise. They are currently hoarding student money for luxury perks and administrative bloat. Before taxing struggling students, the AMS must reallocate the $40,000 they spend on their own catered council food and executive retreats, and cancel the $65,500 “Awards Night” gala they throw for themselves.
REFERENDUM 2: THE CLUBS BENEFIT FEE
Vote NO to the Administrative Bailout
The “Yes” campaign is selling this fee as a lifeline to save student clubs. In reality, the structural mechanics of this fee will destroy reliable club funding while forcing you to pay for basic AMS incompetence.
The AMS Must Do Better: We refuse to bail out administrative delays. The AMS already collects millions of dollars in non-discretionary and discretionary revenue. They need to fix their operational bottlenecks internally, not pass the bill to the student body.
The Opt-Out Instability: The AMS made this new fee 100% opt-outable. That means instead of providing clubs with a reliable baseline budget, club funding will wildly fluctuate every single year depending on how many students click “opt-out” in September. It hollows out their financial stability and forces clubs to beg for survival year after year.
Paying for Basic Competence: The AMS openly admits that a portion of this new tax will be used to fund a “faster system for processing room booking requests.” Processing room bookings is a baseline administrative duty of the student union. UBC students should not be forced to pay a premium tax just so the AMS can do its job efficiently.
Student Affordability Coalition – Vote NO To A Fee Hike 