The financial stress facing students in Northern Ireland is laid bare in a new survey with many revealing how they have skipped meals, gone without heating or accessed a foodbank amid their struggles.
A large majority of students in the north say they are constantly worried about finance, according to the NUS-USI union.
The survey, the biggest conducted by the students union, reveals that 84 percent of students grapple with unprecedented financial stress, with more than one in five (22%) saying money worries dominate their lives.
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The results, which are released against the backdrop of the restored Northern Ireland Assembly, shed light on the impact of the cost of living on students.
It reveals how many students are struggling to buy food or get inadequate financial support and are also dealing with the stress of managing increased costs alongside their studies and exams.
Almost 40% said that dealing with the stress of the cost of living was impacting their mental health with a quarter considering leaving their course.
It also found that 68% have seen their housing costs rise with a quarter unable to pay rent or bills.
Three in five students are having to work alongside their studies leaving them feeling busy all the time and struggling to concentrate with little time to socialise or take part in other activities.
This is having a negative impact on their student experience.
A third of students have skipped a meal, one in five have gone without heating and two in five missed out on social activities because of the cost of living, while 7% have accessed a foodbank.
Chloe Ferguson, NUS-USI president said: “The stories we are hearing from students across campuses in the north is harrowing.
“So many students are struggling with the soaring rise in costs leaving them unable to buy food, travel to class or have a life outside of studies and work.
“Our students’ unions are doing incredible work to support on campus through free breakfasts, winter warmer packs and more but we owe it to our students not to build an education system with poverty baked in.
“The government must step up and provide sufficient support to learners across Northern Ireland.
“Over the last week we have seen decision makers pledge action- promising a future that includes a sustainable economy and a thriving healthcare system.
“However, for that to happen we need to invest in good foundations, and that means dismantling the barriers to education.
“We cannot be teachers, electricians, nurses or any other profession without adequate support to make it happen.
“This isn’t just about the contents of our textbooks, it’s about the harsh reality of whether students can buy them and keep on top of every other bill that lands at our door.”
Ms Ferguson added: “Our message to decision makers is a clear one: help cannot come soon enough for students.
“Learners are both the present, and the future of our society, and we can no longer go ignored.”
