Last week, thousands of students made inroads at campuses across the country. For the very first time, many will live alone and live in cramped conditions.
– The food budget is the first thing that smokes. All other bills – such as mobile and rent – are fixed expenses that can not be cut.
That’s what biology student Justine Eskild (24) says.
– There is little in the fridge that indicates that three adults live in the collective. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
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The 24-year-old from Bærum is one of many students who have had tighter finances during the pandemic.
Depending on help
Last year, Eskild, like many fellow students, had to move home.
– The budget was not enough, she says.
– Eskild moved home to Bærum during the pandemic. Photo: Ole Enes Ebbesen / TV 2
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– If I had not had a job alongside my studies, I would have been dependent on help from home. I think my parents should let it go, I’m an adult, says the student at the University of Bergen.
She only had to empty her savings account during the six months she did not have a job.
Tight economy
When most of society closed down, in the spring of 2020, many students were laid off or fired from their part-time jobs.
Students with part-time jobs in the service industry, restaurant and nightlife industries or shops were particularly vulnerable.
– The extra scholarship came also legally late. There were also many who were reluctant to take out extra loans, says Eskild.
– – Students today are not full-time students. If we could live on loans and scholarships, I think many could have been better students, says Justine Eskild.
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1 in 3 has received poorer advice
Danske Bank has looked at how the reduced labor supply has affected Norwegian students’ finances during the pandemic.
– Students basically have tight finances, but during the pandemic they have had it even tighter, says consumer economist Thea Olsen.
– – We see that many students will probably end up in the red. The student loan is not enough, says consumer economist at Danske Bank, Thea Olsen. Photo: Goran Jorganovich / TV 2
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She says that many will probably end up in the red financially after three semesters of pandemics. And with tighter finances, it’s the food budget that comes first:
– One in three students has reduced their food budget during the pandemic. On average, the cut has been around a thousand kroner a month, says Olsen.
– Goes beyond the social
– The first thing that smokes is raw materials such as fish and meat. There will be a lot of dinners with only pasta and rice, says Eskild.
She says that the tight economy also affects social life.
– I experience having to say no to a lot, because I can not afford. Money is also a very taboo subject, so not many people admit that they drop out of things, because they do not actually have money.
– Had to pick berries
The leader of the Norwegian student organization, Tuva Todnem Lund, is concerned about the students.
– That one in three has had to cut the food budget is a painful number, but not surprising, she says.
– The Norwegian student organization is concerned about all students who lost their part-time jobs during the pandemic. Photo: Tom Rune Orset / TV 2
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– We have heard horror stories about students who have gone to the forest to pick berries because they have not had money for food. That Norwegian students are so dependent on a part-time job is something we would like to see done something about. says Lund.
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