Ain Shams University's business students launched a "We will not pay" campaign on Saturday morning to protest a rise in tuition fees.

The campaign is to protest the LE1000 ($170) increase in university fees, which now add up to LE6500 ($1,100). The increase was reportedly due to the public university's plan to invest in ID machines.

"The reason behind the increase is illogical; the machines will not cost more than LE2000 [$338] while the fee increase will bring in around LE15 million [$2,540,000]," said Ahmed Watani, student and member of the Socialist Popular alliance.

Watani stressed that these tactics are no longer acceptable," following the January 25 Revolution and considering Egyptians are becoming more alert - especially the youth."

The university has yet to respond.

The students who gathered on Saturday morning, the first day of their academic year, demand the tuition hike be anulled.

Ain Shams students are not the only ones protesting tuition raises; students of one of the most expensive universities in Egypt, the American University in Cairo (AUC) have also launched a campaign urging students not to pay the fees.

According to students at privately-run AUC, annual tuition fees had risen this year alone from around LE38,000 ($6,440) per semester to LE62,000 ($10,500).

A protest was held at AUC's new campus in New Cairo in the outskirts of the sprawling city Thursday to protest a seven per cent annual increase in college tuition fees.