One in four universities operate student food banks – Report

More than one in four universities in the United Kingdom are operating food banks for students in response to the cost-of-living crisis, according to new research, writes Katerina Vittozzi for Sky News.

The report by the Higher Education Policy Institute also found: three-quarters of universities offered discounted food and drinks to students; nearly half provided financial assistance with healthcare and free period products; and more than a third helped towards costs of travel and digital equipment for study.

The National Union of Students (NUS) called the findings “a damning indictment” of the government’s policy in respect to students and the rising cost of living. “Students are the nurses, doctors, teachers and public sector workers of the future,” said Chloe Field, the NUS vice president for higher education. “Yet all too many are having their futures blighted by poverty and hardship that risks scuppering their potential.”
Full report on the Sky News site