Some students had to cut back on food last academic year as the cost of living soared, official research shows.
Careful budgeting was not enough to keep costs down, forcing some students to skip meals, take on debt or dip into savings.
The Office for National Statistics interviewed 25 students to follow up a wider survey conducted in February.
That research had found nine in 10 students were worried about the cost of living.
The cost of renting somewhere to live has risen sharply in many UK towns and cities, as competition for a dwindling number of properties has surged.
Meanwhile, food prices have also gone up over the last year. Some wholesale prices have fallen in recent months and supermarkets have been accused of keeping prices higher than they need to be, hitting the pockets of customers.
Regulators have told supermarkets to make pricing clearer.
The ONS said some students had to skip meals or leave the heating off to help with rising costs. Many worked extra hours, sometimes in multiple jobs, or relied on support from family.
Students said they had a poorer university experience as a result, with the rising cost of living affecting their academic performance, skills development, health and wellbeing.
