# Dormitory fee increase at Vistula University

*A fictional example for the InfoDome demo. All people and organisations are invented.*

On 1 October the rectorate of Vistula University announced a 35% increase in student dormitory fees from January. Rector Professor Albert Wiśniewski said the decision was driven by rising energy prices and the need to renovate the buildings on River Street.

The Student Council, led by Marta Zielińska, called the decision unfair. According to Zielińska, more than 40% of dormitory residents are students from small towns or from abroad, for whom the increase means choosing between studying and working. The council demanded public hearings.

Journalism student Anna Koval, 21, started a petition against the increase. Within three days it was signed by 4,200 people. Anna lives in the "North" dormitory and works part-time as a barista. On social media she wrote that she could not continue her studies without her parents' help.

Piotr Nowak, a journalist at the "Evening Courier" newspaper, published an investigation: part of the renovation money had already been granted by a European fund, and the renovation estimate was inflated. The Ministry of Education promised to review the estimate.

The teachers' union supported the students but proposed a compromise: a 15% increase and discounts for low-income students. The youth wing of the "Renewal" party urged the rector to cancel the decision, while the conservative blog "Common Sense" accused the students of expecting handouts.

International students, united in the "Bridge" association, said they cannot afford to rent flats in the city. The association's chair, Oleg Melnyk, met Mayor Igor Lesny, who offered city dormitories as a temporary solution.

A student march from the main building to the ministry is planned for 15 October. The rectorate has not yet responded to the demands.