UCC students going to lectures feeling hungry and struggling to afford college life, survey shows
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More than a quarter of students at University College Cork (UCC) have said they have gone to lectures feeling hungry, in a new survey highlighting the “stark reality” of the cost-of-living crisis at third-level.
Furthermore, many are working over 20 hours a week, commuting for hours to get to college and struggling to afford what they need for their classes.
The university’s Students' Union launched the report in association with Dr Declan Jordan from the Cork University Business School, and said it showed the failure of the Government to support a sustainable model for the third-level sector in Ireland.
“There is no longer any excuse for inaction, we need to see serious investment into the third-level sector in Budget 2025 to support our students,” UCC SU president Katie Halpin-Hill said.
The survey received 3,052 responses from students.
At undergraduate level, just under half of respondents said their tuition fees were paid by their parents or guardians. A quarter said they paid for it through part-time work, while just under one in five said they paid from their own savings.
Almost four in five respondents (78%) said they were not in receipt of any grant funding from Susi.
Of those renting, a quarter said their housing costs have increased by more than €40 a week in the last year, meaning renting over the course of an academic year now costs €1,200 more.
Three in five said they had a paid job during term time with 20% of them working more than 20 hours a week. A large majority (77%) said they earned less than €13 an hour.
All of these pressures are taking their toll.
“Over one quarter of students (28%) agreed that they have gone to lectures hungry and 57% agree that they are not confident they could pay an unexpected bill, such as a rent hike or medical expense,” the report said.
“Two thirds of respondents agreed the cost of living negatively affects their health and wellbeing.
Commenting on the report, Dr Jordan said going to college was a privilege but “we risk making it a privilege of the rich few” if the cost-of-living and accommodation crises are not tackled effectively.
“When a talented student from a poorer family is unable to go to college because they lack the resources, it isn’t just that student who loses,” he added. “We all do.”