A former Oxford Brookes student has hit out at the University of Oxford after it was revealed event tickets were costing £446.

It was revealed earlier this week that Pembroke College was charging £446 per person for its 400th birthday ball.

This meant that a ticket was more expensive than the average monthly student rent in the UK leading to fury from the University of Oxford’s current cohort.

Lily Cooper graduated from Oxford Brookes last September after studying Business and Marketing and now is the marketing manager at The Brookes Ball.

Oxford Mail: Oxford Brookes students are shocked by the ticket prices.Oxford Brookes students are shocked by the ticket prices. (Image: Ed Nix)

READ MORE: University of Oxford labelled ‘inaccessible’ after £446 event tickets

The 21-year-old helps stage more affordable events for students across the city and, along with her Brookes friends, has condemned the cost of the University of Oxford event tickets.

“We are quite frankly shocked that anyone has bought them in the first place,” she said.

“From what we can see they aren’t what they used to be and students use them as a CV building exercise rather than a way to give back to the student community which has served them.

“From what I have seen, they do not even offer a tiered ticketing structure, not to mention the venue for what you pay for is normally a dimly-lit marquee.”

Oxford Mail: Lily Cooper (right) is the market manager at The Brookes Ball.Lily Cooper (right) is the market manager at The Brookes Ball. (Image: The Brookes Ball)

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Furious students at the University of Oxford argued that poorer people are being priced out of Oxford’s events including formals and balls.

Human Sciences undergraduate student Chloe Pomfret said that the university was showing that it is inaccessible for the working class.

Ms Cooper has agreed with this, arguing that these steep prices show the institution as “elitist”.

“We completely agree that working class students have been priced out of Oxford University balls,” she added.

“It all goes with the notion that Oxford University still retains its elitist connotations, despite bursaries and all the rest of it.

“You can take the horse to the river of equal access for all, but you cannot force it to drink.”

Oxford Mail: The Uni of Oxford college event's tickets were priced at £446.The Uni of Oxford college event's tickets were priced at £446. (Image: Chloe Pomfret)

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The Brookes Ball (TBB) was conceived in 2020 to bring an affordable ball option to students of Oxford and further afar.

“Oxford University Balls are notoriously expensive, slightly underwhelming and incredibly poor value for money," Ms Cooper added.

“They similarly lack frequency and are priced only for the metropolitan elite, with no consideration given to students that may not be able to afford the eye-watering price tag.

“TBB is affordable every time, and our ticketing structure enables all students to tag along and join in.

“Our prices start at £80 and never go above £120 all whilst involving all the usual antics you would expect at a ball including an all-night DJ, five-star food, alcohol and more.”

The Oxford Mail has approached the University of Oxford and Pembroke College for comment.