20% of French University Students Skip Three Meals a Week
Student Cafeterias Close One After Another Due to Soaring Prices
41% Combine Studies and Work as Accommodation Costs Rise
Due to high inflation, some universities in South Korea are operating 1,000-won school meals as many college students are unable to have meals on time. The 1,000-won school meal is popular among students because it offers a proper meal at an affordable price. Meanwhile, the French Student Union is raising its voice to lower the price of meals at French student cafeterias to 1 euro (about 1,400 won) so that all students can eat regularly.
On the 10th (local time), the French Student Union announced that it conducted an online survey of 7,531 French university students from September to December last year. As a result, 19%, or one in five French university students, answered that they skip three or more meals a week. Forty-nine percent of respondents said they could not afford to buy fresh fruits or vegetables every week. This kind of food insecurity was more common among students receiving scholarships.
Twenty-eight percent of students receiving scholarships responded that they do not eat properly, while 16% of students not receiving scholarships said the same. Among students not receiving scholarships, one in five said they do not use the campus cafeteria because the meal price (3.30 euros, about 4,700 won) is too expensive. Forty-one percent of students combine studies with work to make a living. In particular, 35% said they work more than 12 hours a week.
Facing Double Hardships: Soaring Prices and Housing Issues for College Students
The reason college students have no choice but to skip meals is the sharp rise in living costs. France’s inflation rate was in the 1-2% range before the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022 but steadily rose to 6.3% in February last year. Although the inflation rate has gradually decreased since then, it still recorded 3.7% in December, showing that the upward trend has not yet been broken.
President Macron, who took office in 2017, announced plans to build 60,000 student dormitories within his 5-year term, but only achieved half of that by 2022. [Photo by EPA·Yonhap News]
The French daily Le Monde pointed out that many university cafeterias closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made it more burdensome for students with tight budgets to have meals. Mael Nizan, president of the Student Union, said, “University cafeterias should be installed everywhere to improve accessibility,” and demanded, “Meal prices should be lowered to 1 euro (about 1,400 won) so that all students can eat regularly.”
Another factor undermining college students’ stability is housing issues. Especially in the metropolitan areas such as Paris, where housing prices are high, students have difficulty finding suitable accommodations, which has been pointed out as a social problem every new semester. If students cannot get into the limited national dormitories (Crous), they must find accommodations that fit their financial situation, often ending up in old housing with poor hygiene or inadequate heating and insulation.
As students’ voices grew louder, former Prime Minister ?lisabeth Borne promised in November last year to build 35,000 new accommodations by 2027, when President Emmanuel Macron’s second term ends. However, the Student Union remains skeptical of this promise. President Macron, who took office in 2017, announced plans to build 60,000 student accommodations within five years but had only achieved half of that by 2022.
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