Policy passed at NUS Wales Conference 2023

Cost of Living and Fairer Food Prices

What’s the issue and how does it affect students? 

We’ve received two policy submission on cost of living, one more widely and one focusing on rising food costs for students.

Students across Wales are struggling in the Cost-of-Living Crisis. Constantly battling to afford our homes, food and travel to our classes. Students have felt the impact of a failing Westminster government even despite devolution, whether that be increased tuition fees, frozen repayment thresholds, or lack of funding to help access our education. Learners are increasingly prone to dropping out because they can’t afford the day-day essentials, even with financial support and working part-time jobs. We need collective action, both individually and as four-nation movement, to target governments to deliver support package for students and society that values education.

Rising food costs on and off campus are causing particular detriment; students are having to work alongside their studies and still unable to afford basic nutrition. On campus provisions are likely to be more nutritious but not priced accessibly, particularly for those not receiving additional funding.

What changes would we like to see in society to change this? 

Against the backdrop of a never-seen-before rise in industrial action, and a 2024 General Election, there is shift and will across society to build better places for us to live and learn. Students must come together as a unified collective voice, sending message that we need better to survive. Student Poverty is UKGov policy; this cannot go on. We need action at institution/Government level to deliver on basics. We need food on the table. We need a freeze and decrease in rents. We need a way to get to class that doesn’t put us out of pocket. We need more money to survive and thrive.

FE and HE institutions to be proactive in providing fairer on campus food options without causing detriment to farmers/producers. Institutions to facilitate communal accessible space focused on tackling isolation in the student community due to food costs.

NUSW should follow direction and leadership of membership, talking directly to WG/(Westminster for reserved matters). Need direct action to tackle costs hitting students/apprentices - whether that's food poverty, travel costs, rent/any other bills. We’ve seen success; we need to remain focussed to continue to build on this. For this to happen, we need to organise within our students’ unions to gain active supporters for our campaigns/ mobilise students on the ground to feel motivated to take action when and where they can. This looks different across different campus contexts; must stand unified behind goal of fighting for positive change for students.

NUS Wales to take a stance of solidarity with other organisations campaigning around the cost of living.

NUS to adopt a stance to campaign for;

• fairer wages
• child benefit and other state welfare provisions
• Scrapping tuition fees
• reintroduction of child tax credit
• increase in maintenance loans and grants

Universities should only ethically recruit and only recruit to local capacity in terms of their residences, local housing and the local costs of living (taking into consideration, local food costs).

NUS Wales to lobby the government for EMA funding to be increased and made more accessible

International students should be catered for in terms of food, shelter and basic necessities as well as their specific needs (such as family needs) and for their admission not to be based on income prior to moving here to enact this.