MOST students are struggling with food costs and are spending less than their minimum need while at university due to maintenance loan squeezes, research published today shows.

Polling for educational disadvantage charity the Sutton Trust shows that 62 per cent of university students spend less than £37 a week on food,  the amount judged the minimum needed for a single person to buy essentials.

Students living at universities in England outside London have median costs of £11,400 a year on essential spending, with 52 per cent on average going to housing, 12 per cent on groceries and 6 per cent on bills.