Money saving tips and hardship funds are being offered to University of East Anglia (UEA) students amid concerns they face physical, mental and emotional instability from spiralling living costs.
The support is being given to people studying at the UEA after alarming statistics from this year's National Student Money Survey revealed four in five have thought about dropping out of university.
This includes 52pc who have thought about dropping out due to money worries and more than eight in 10 of those asked worried about making ends meet with the average maintenance loan falling short of living costs.
One in 10 students in the survey had also used a food bank in the last academic year.
UEA student officers Evie Drennan, Serene Shibli Sexton, Aaron Campbell, Taylor Sounes and Elise Page, said: "Our biggest concerns around cost of living are students not having enough money for a reasonable standard of living due to maintenance and postgraduate loan increases not being in line with the rate of inflation.
"This will also mean a lot of physical, mental and emotional strain for students as many will need to find additional work to support themselves leaving less time for studying, extra-curricular activities and taking care of their wellbeing."
They added there would be financial and emotional support through the Students' Union advice team and extra support for undergraduates and post graduates will be rolled out over the coming months.
Prof David Richardson, UEA vice-chancellor, said: "We recognise the cost of living crisis will present financial challenges for many of our students and is a key focus of our support for them this academic year.
"We have set up programmes to assist them – from partnering up with the Citizens Advice Bureau to offer budgeting courses and money saving tips, to offering kitchen and household essentials for care leavers and estranged students. There are hardship funds for those most in need.
"To any student who feels in need of support - please speak to us."
In 2020/21 and 2021/22 the UEA enrolled 8,000 and 7,904 students and a similar amount are expected to have started this month.
There were around 19,686 undergraduates and post graduates at the university last year.
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