A final year student has called for Ulster University to introduce support measures to help students through the cost of living crisis.
Sara Williams studies at the new university campus in Belfast city centre and said students are dealing with worrying about paying their bills and where their next meal will come from, on top of the general stresses of university work.
She works 30-40 hours a week outside of her studies, and said a small cost of living payment would make a massive difference to students' lives.
Read more: Queen's University to give staff and students cost of living payment
It comes as Queen's University announced last week it would be spending £8 million to make a range of cost of living payments to students and most staff. These payments are scheduled to begin in January 2023.
Although she and many other students receive a student loan payment, Sara said it just about covers her rent payments most years. Living with three students who do the same course as her, they each pay £300 per month for rent, but have been struggling with making ends meet.
"My student loan has gone 100% on rent. In first year, my loan covered all of my rent except £1,000 so I had to then as a 17-18 year old make up the extra £1,000," Sara told Belfast Live.
"I do a practical course in university so we need to pay for physical materials too. A cost of living payment would be incredible.
"I live in a house with three other people in the same course as me, and for our oil alone just for the next couple of months it's been £100 each at least. We then have £28 a month on top of that for WiFi then we don't know how much electricity will be yet as it comes out every three months.
"Eating, travel, everything else, materials for uni; it all adds up. It would really just get us through the next semester or two. Just a small payment, we're good at making money stretch, we're used to it.
"I have so many times been in a position where I don't know when I'm going to get my next meal, and I'm literally living meal by meal, day by day. I have a job as well and have been working 30-40 hours a week on top of my studies and still struggle to make ends meet."
Sara, who is from Downpatrick, said a lack of funds means she worries about not getting the right nutrition to fuel her studies. She said there seems to be a stigma about students using any extra payments to fund partying.
However, she explained this couldn't be further for the truth for many.
She said: "When we're faced with having heat over winter or having a drink, we're going to pick having heat. A small payment would go so far.
"I think people don't think about how good our learning is going to go if we're living in a freezing cold house, with mould all over the walls, and no nutritional food. I'm not eating well, I'm not eating fruit or vegetables because it's too expensive.
"It's very much only beige foods at the moment and maybe a pack of frozen vegetables I'll turn into something the odd time. When I'm living in my student house and having to budget, I do find my energy levels are low as I'm not getting the right nutrition, I'm relying on multivitamins to get through.
"You're stressed about how you're going to pay your bills and how you're going to get nutrition on top of worrying about finishing your dissertation."
Ulster University have confirmed they're looking into the "most effective and beneficial ways to support students" and will be announcing a package of measures over the coming weeks.
Additionally, in light of the continuing cost of living challenges across society, the university and its students' union have been supporting the NUS-USI Cost of Survival campaign for students. This includes introducing a yellow sticker system for unsold food on campus and working to set up food and book banks for those in need.
A spokesperson for Ulster University said: "We are keenly aware of the potential impact of the cost-of-living challenges that are set to prevail into the autumn / winter period.
"Ulster University is actively exploring the most effective and beneficial ways to support students, especially the most vulnerable, and staff. Following this analysis, a package of measures will be shared with the university community over the coming weeks."
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