France, Feb. 22 -- Living on a shoestring has long been a feature of undergraduate life, but student poverty is rising in France.
A recent survey ofmore than 5,000 university students, carried out by the Union Etudiante, found that one in three students in France are left with less than €50 a month after covering rent and bills, while one in 10 have nothing left at all at the end of the month.
Eight out of 10 students surveyed said they had already gone without essentials such as heating, food, healthcare or leisure activities.
Marian Blocquet, a 21-year-old master's student in Paris and president of the student union Renouveau Syndical, says food insecurity is now widespread.
"One in two students in France is skipping a meal ever...