The poll of more than 3,500 university students found 11% use food banks, up from 5% in January, while 96% are cutting back as a result of soaring prices and bills. One in five say they can’t buy toiletries and one in 10 can’t buy hygiene products when required. Last month it was reported that there was a 3,000% increase in the number of graduates owing more than £100,000 in student loan debt. In 2016, the charity Sutton Trust found that British graduates have the highest debt in the English-speaking world and the average loan balance has risen since then. The NUS survey found that a third of students live on less than £50 a month after paying their rent and bills, with many saying their maintenance money is not enough to pay for a weekly shop, allow them travel to university or cover their energy bills. The poll also revealed a cost of learning crisis, with three-quarters of students saying they would not be able to pay for course materials without more support. Four in 10 (42%) say they can’t get to campus or have to travel less, and 41% neglect their health to save money by missing out on “extras” like dentist appointments. Nine in 10 (92%) say the crisis is affecting their mental health, with 31% saying rising costs are having a “big” impact. Only a fifth of students say they have received government support and only 8% said they felt ministers were doing enough to support them. More than eight in 10 (83%) have sought financial support through other means, such as using credit cards, buy-now and pay-as-you-go credit schemes such as Klarna or taking out bank loans. More than half (53%) of students say they have turned to family and friends for support, while 40% have turned to them for loans. A third of students say the rising cost of living has also had an impact on their families. Students with caring responsibilities and disabilities, those estranged from their families and people from poorer backgrounds have been most affected by the crisis. An NUS spokesman said: “Huge rises in the price of bills, food and living costs combined with skyrocketing rents are driving students to the brink… We are seeing the stress and anxiety piled on top of them from soaring debt between different cards to stay alive. “However, the students are completely ignored by the government. These findings are grim. we are knee-deep in a cost-of-learning crisis that will hit the poorest students harder.” The union called on the government to implement a tailored cost of living support package for students, as well as to align student meal provisions and the minimum apprentice wage with the living wage.
