UNIVERSITY students have clashed with police during a rally over the prestigious design school that awarded Tony Abbott’s daughter Frances a scholarship they say was not earned on merit.

However, crowds were much smaller than the hundreds expected to flock to Melbourne’s Whitehouse Institute of Design from 3pm to voice their anger at the post-Budget revelation that the Prime Minister’s daughter won a $60,000 scholarship to the school’s Sydney campus.

Only about 80 protesters turned up before it fizzled out 45 minutes later.

A heavy police presence guarded the door to the Whitehouse Institute where protesters drew on the road and walls with chalk.

Protestors rushed the line of police guarding the door and attempted to push their way in. They retired after two minutes and left to walk down Bourke St.

News_Module: Protesters rally

They sat down in the middle of the Spencer St and Bourke St intersection, causing traffic to bank up in both directions along Spencer St.

A heavy police presence guarded the door to the Whitehouse Institute where protesters drew on the road and walls with chalk.

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At one point, protestors rushed the line of police guarding the door and attempted to push their way in. They retired after two minutes and left to walk down Bourke St.

They sat down in the middle of the Spencer St and Bourke St intersection, causing traffic to bank up in both directions along Spencer St.

Protestors then walked through Southern Cross station and movied up the escalators to platforms shouting “no cuts, no fees, no corporate universities”.

Traffic is now banked up down Spring Street in both directions as the protestors block the intersection pic.twitter.com/hcAD4Ra064 — Michelle Ainsworth (@mlainsworth) May 28, 2014

Protest organiser, Melbourne University Socialist Alternative student spokeswoman Jade Eckhaus, earlier said she hoped at least 600 demonstrators to rally outside the Bourke St institute.

A protest was also planned for the institute’s Sydney campus.

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“We’re hoping we can get inside and occupy the building as well,” she said.

“We think it’s a bit of a joke that Tony Abbott is running rampant on the education system ... and his daughter Frances has been given this exorbitant scholarship.”

News_Image_File: Students try to bust through police lines and bang on windows. Picture: Jason Edwards.

Ms Eckhaus said she believed it was “pretty clear” the grant was not awarded on merit.

She said it had not been advertised to other students, as others who had studied at the institute with Ms Abbott had claimed they knew nothing of it.

The institute’s chairman, Les Taylor, is also a longtime friend and supporter of the Prime Minister.

Ms Eckhaus said protesters were concerned changes to Australia’s higher education system detailed in this year’s Budget would make it more difficult for non-privileged students to afford tertiary study.

Of particular worry was the decision to allow universities to set their own fees.

She said Mr Abbott and Education Minister Christopher Pyne should “be scared” of university students, and vowed to keep protesting.

Another demonstrator, La Trobe University student Elliot Downes, told Neil Mitchell on 3AW this morning that Mr Abbott’s family, in particular his 22-year-old daughter, were “fair game” for protesters.

“If your mummy or daddy is a rich person, or happens to be the Prime Minister, you are able to get your education for free while people like me, who aren’t that privileged, actually have to pay for my education,” Ms Downes said.

“It’s quite clear that this Budget is going to drastically impact working-class students.”

Ms Downes said Ms Abbott’s scholarship demonstrated “everything this is wrong” with Australia’s education system.

Mitchell expressed disgust for the protesters’ tactics on his radio program this morning, saying it was “simply not fair” Mr Abbott’s “unelected” family members be targeted.

“The family is not responsible for the decisions Tony Abbott makes,” he said.

Protestors have walked through Southern Cross station and are moving up the escalators to platforms pic.twitter.com/bCC5MMGxfi — Michelle Ainsworth (@mlainsworth) May 28, 2014

Protest organiser Danica Cheesley said the protestors were angry at the $60,000 scholarship given to Frances Abbott and about changes to university fees in the federal budget.

“This is much more than just about Frances Abbott.

“Obviously it’s disgusting that she got a $60,000 scholarship just because her father is the Prime Minister, but more generally, really, this protest was about saying that we’re against all of the attacks on higher education that the Liberals are trying to introduce in their new budget.

“Because students who don’t have the money that someone like Frances Abbott does, or people at the top of society, won’t be able to get the education that they would like, so we’re against that.”

News_Image_File: Students thrust into the police line outside the Design Institute. Picture: Jason Edwards.

She defended the decision to rush at the police and attempt to gain access to the university.

“We wanted to get inside and we would hope that the police would let us do that and it’s disgusting that they didn’t.”

Ms Cheesley said the protestors would target every federal Liberal MP who visited Victoria.

“We will definitely be there at every opportunity to protest the Liberals. If we know where they are, we will be there.”

Whitehouse Institute of Design chief executive Ian Tudor said the institute respected the protestors’ right to protest but it was misdirected.

“We support the right of people to protest peacefully against government policies they are opposed to, but there is simply no justification for singling out and disrupting our students and staff or vandalising our campus,” Mr Tudor said.

Thousands of demonstrators stormed Melbourne’s streets last week in a wild protest over university funding, with 13 people arrested.

Police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson said police observed several protestors drawing with chalk on the side of the building, road and footpath but as the markings were not permanent decided against taking any action.

samantha.landy@news.com.au