VUWSA Report Reveals Students Under Pressure from Cost of Living, Losing Hope in Aotearoa

Data collected by Te Aka Tauira 0 Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Association paints a deeply concerning, but unsurprising, picture of university students struggling with the cost of living, picking up more shifts alongside study, and losing hope about their futures in Aotearoa. 

VUWSA’s State of the Students Report reveals that 38% of students at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington have skipped a meal in the past week because of the cost of food. Transport costs are also a top concern for our tauira, with 38% of students making the difficult decision to skip classes because of the cost of public transport.  

The report also demonstrates that the cost of living also has a disproportionate impact on our Māori students, who on average face higher levels of food insecurity (45% reporting they skipped a meal in the past week) compared to non-Māori. 

VUWSA is also concerned that, as shown in the report, financial support received by students through study does not match the cost of living in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.  

On average, a student at Te Herenga Waka spends $339.49 per week on essential living expenses, comprised of $16.39 per week on transport (using public transport, in Wellington City), $91.50 on groceries and $231.60 on rent. However, this is less that the maximum amount a single student under 24 can receive from StudyLink ($333.38 per week) and the maximum living costs a student can take out of their student loan ($333.48 per week). 

“The skyrocketing cost of living is having a profound impact on our students,” says VUWSA Academic Vice-President and State of the Students Project Lead Ethan Rogacion, “which leads to students needing to either add to their student debt, pick up more shifts at work, or ask their families for support just to make ends meet.” 

The data reveals that only 33% of students feel hopeful about finding future opportunities in their field in Aotearoa, and that 70% have considered moving out of the country for better opportunities in the past six months. This increases to 78% for students at 300-level.  

“Student poverty is not a rite of passage,” Rogacion notes and “acting like it is one does nothing but make students feel that they have no option but to move out of the country and find greener pastures elsewhere.”  

Te Aka Tauira is calling on central government, local government and universities across the motu to invest in meaningful financial support for our students. 

*Data for the State of the Students survey was collected between 4 and 15 May 2026 through an anonymous online survey hosted on Qualtrics. Taking part was voluntary and respondents self-selected into the survey. N = 1238.