Students going hungry with cost of food and other essentials rising

Students are going hungry with the cost of food and other essentials rising faster than their loans – with two in three admitting they’ve cut back on food amid squeeze to living standards

• Around two in three students said they cut back on food spending due to costs 

Students are going hungry with the cost of food and other essentials rising faster than their loans.

Price rises on food, accommodation, heat, light and transport were ahead of increases in their maintenance loans in both 2022 and 2023.

Around two in three – 65 per cent – said they had cut back on spending on food and other essentials because of the rising cost of living.

The figures come from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) which found the cost of living crisis is making the university experience a misery for many.

One 18-year-old undergraduate called Ryan told the ONS: ‘Some days I really don’t eat at all.’

Students are going hungry with the cost of food and other essentials rising faster than their loans (File image)

Many are taking on part-time jobs and working extra hours while a number are increasingly reliant on their parents to help out.

Significant numbers feel they are not getting value for money for the fees they are paying, with many hit by strikes by lecturers and a switch to online learning.

Students told the ONS they were having a poorer university experience with the financial squeeze affecting their academic performance, skills development, health and well-being.

Just under half (46 per cent) reported their mental health and well-being had worsened since the beginning of the academic year.

The ONS said: ‘Some students struggled to afford their bills or food shopping.

‘Careful budgeting was not enough to keep costs down for many students, who had to find other ways to make ends meet. These included cutting down on food and other essentials, using savings or taking on debt.

Price rises on food, accommodation, heat, light and transport were ahead of increases in their maintenance loans in both 2022 and 2023 (File image)

‘Many worked extra hours, sometimes in multiple jobs, or relied on support from family.’

Students in England borrowed an average of £7,010 in maintenance loans to pay for accommodation and living costs in the 2021 to 2022 academic year, according to the latest available data.

READ MORE: One in five university freshers will live at home during term time instead of student halls, research finds

This figure rose by an average of 2.3 per cent for the 2022 to 2023 academic year, which was well below the inflation rate of 9.6 per cent.

The ONS said: ‘Over half (58 per cent) of survey respondents said their loans did not cover their living costs, and one in four (25 per cent ) said their loans only just covered their living costs.’

One 21-year-old told the ONS: ‘I’ve got to fend for myself, so it is scary.’

Almost a third (30 per cent) of survey respondents said they were working more hours to cover essentials. And one in five said they were considering moving back in with their parents.

The organisation said students who receive financial support from their families felt fortunate, but many are uncomfortable about it.

One 24-year-old called Charlotte told the ONS that she felt ‘guilty and frustrated’.

She said: ‘I’ve noticed that my mum is working more hours than she previously would have done…that’s partially because of the cost of living and partially to make sure I can fall back on them if I need to. I hate it.’

Students complained that much of their course was being taught online even after the end of the pandemic.

The ONS said: ‘Strike action taken by staff in some universities during the 2022 to 2023 academic year further limited the teaching available, and some students interviewed felt they were not getting full value from their course.’

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