As the cost of living in Cambridge continues to rise, food banks are one of the ways that students are trying to cope.

Research commissioned by Santander has shown that living costs in Cambridge are the highest in the country, at an average of £10,778. This figure does not take into account tuition fees. In contrast, students in Cardiff average £7,649 per year, 29 per cent less than their Cambridge counterparts.

Accommodation was the top expense for students, followed by bills, food and transport. Santander reports that going to university on a three-year undergraduate course costs, on average, over £18,000 per year, an increase of almost seven per cent from 2013.

The collegiate system of the University of Cambridge means that Cantabrigians are massively advantaged over attendees of Anglia Ruskin University, who face rising costs in renting privately.

The president of Anglia Ruskin Student’s Union (ARSU), Daryl Sharpe, said that rental costs were the biggest concern for herself and her colleagues: "We recognise how expensive it is to live here. Some of the house prices in and around Cambridge are levelling out with what you have in London.

“For students, fees don't come across as money out of your pocket, but here in Cambridge one of the biggest things that has an effect is the rent. More students are having [sic] to go out and work longer hours alongside their degree to make sure they have money to pay for their rent."

She also admitted that ARSU is working “really, really closely with a local food bank service” to support students who are struggling financially.

Sharpe stressed the proximity of the city to London as a major factor in driving up prices, a phenomenon which also affects University of Cambridge students.  Despite not having to rent privately due to subsidised college accommodation, the college system also has its financial drawbacks.

Jack Wright, the welfare and rights officer at CUSU, said that the lack of personal kitchens and mandatory kitchen charges, prevalent in most colleges, is a contributor to students’ financial problems.

Being forced to eat in the college hall, he said, prevents "access to standard ways of saving on food costs, like big freezer packs of food and bulk cooking.”

Wright did emphasise, however, that financial assistance and guidance is available to any student from the CUSU and the university itself: “it is the stated aim of the University that nobody should have to abandon study due to financial considerations, and we at the students' union work to the best of our ability to make sure this is true in practice."