The newly introduced Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is a compulsory fee of up to $263 per year for almost every university student (with few exceptions) irrelevant of whether or not they use any of the services offered by (some) campuses.
The fee has been described as "providing support for students who are struggling to continue with their studies", however no consideration has come in for those students who may be struggling to meet their needs financially, and this extra cost may be the difference between continuing their studies or being forced to drop out.
The SSAF is being brought in to pay for services such as childcare and food services, which are already covered by the students who use them, as well as sporting and recreational activities, career and financial advice, and study skills programs, most of which are irrevent to the majority of students.
While allowing these services to continue is important, this fee (which providers are not actually forced to charge) should be optional and/or students should pay for the specific services they choose to use.