When most people think about the quintessential student experience, they may conjure up images of late night parties, early morning lectures and spending time in the student union bar between classes.
But many are struggling to balance budgeting for student fees, rent and groceries.
In Belfast, in the past year, Queen’s University Students’ Union (QUBSU) has seen a 20% rise in students using The Pantry, a free refill station allowing students to stock up on everything from household items to fresh fruit and vegetables.
“It is unbelievable the amount of students that use The Pantry, we have over 200 students visiting every day,” Amy Smith said.
The QUBSU president, Smith said food bank runs five days a week, and the university helps to fund it.
Figures from the university show there were more than 10,500 visits by students to the food bank between September and December 2025, compared to 8,691 during the same period the year before.
“A lot of our students would struggle to eat and have meals, and have three meals a day let alone one so it’s really something for our students to not have to choose between heating or eating,” Smith said.
“A lot of this comes from students not having enough money within loans, rent prices are increasing a lot and I think that’s very much a contributing factor.”
“Maybe 10 or 15 years ago a students’ union would just be a place that people went on nights out, had a fun time, but now we’re in a situation where students’ unions have had to step up to the plate,” said Ben Friel.
Friel, the National Union of Students NI president, said the increased food bank use showed how student life and students’ unions had changed.
“Students aren’t just here for a night out, students get degrees, they come and contribute to the economy,” Friel added.
“Fundamentally we need to rethink how we look at students as a whole.”
