University students aren’t just living off two-minute noodles and whatever they like to microwave.

Now, some genuinely worry about whether they’ll be able to afford their next meal.

Western Sydney University has recently opened the Western Pantry, an initiative that includes a grocery store open on Mondays and Wednesdays and where everything is free.

When it opened on Monday, more than 100 students turned up to do their shopping, and Student Community Program Coordinator Miranda Zhang told news.com.au that “food insecurity” is on the rise and impacting students.

“We did a reflection survey that found that 52 per cent of our students have been worried about their food running out before they can afford to buy more,” Ms Zhang said.

The response shouldn’t be surprising, considering the cost of living in Australia has soared. Inflation is on its way down but still high at about 4 per cent and we are in a housing crisis.

Rents across Australia continue to surge, increasing by more than 10 per cent in the past 12 months.

Plus, according to a recent study by Roy Morgan, 30.3 per cent of Australians with a mortgage are struggling to make their repayments.

Add in the fact that most university students are trying to navigate this on part-time wages, and it is an increasingly stressful time to be a student.

According to the comparison website Finder, the cost-of-living crisis has significantly impacted Gen Zers, with 93 per cent sharing that they are somewhat or extremely stressed about their current financial situation.

Depressingly, when speaking to young people at Western Sydney University, it became clear that their biggest worries are not around handing in their assignments on time, but how they’ll afford to eat.

One university athlete, who is on a meal plan to maximise her performance, said the price of meat alone has taken a “significant toll” on her weekly bill.

“The cost of groceries with the cost of meat going up and staples. There’s a lot of sacrifices being made to meet my needs while trying to train,” she said.

Similarly, a teaching student said that doing her weekly shop the other day reminded her how tough things are.

“I think everything should be free,” she said.

But the reality is that everything is very expensive. In fact, the student said it is normal for university students to “struggle” to afford groceries.

“I remember doing a shop the other day. It was like $50 for five items,” she said.

“You can’t do a full shop anymore. Especially if you’re a university student, if you’re living on a part-time wage, it just isn’t possible anymore.”

Another admitted a trip to the grocery store reminds him that he won’t soon become financially independent.

“I’ve had these conversations with my parents actually. They are like, ‘Oh, when are you going to move out?’ I’m like 26 right? But I can’t afford to move out right now and when I look at the grocery receipt, I’m just like……” he said.

One student shared that it is just not “realistic” to be able to afford normal groceries as a student, and she finds herself cutting out the good food she needs because it costs more.

“Which is really concerning fruits, veggies, things we need. But they are the top prices at the moment while junk food is the cheapest you can get,” she explained.

There is just a general acceptance that basic food has become something young people are now “struggling” to afford.

“It is a bit of a struggle, I won’t lie. I’ve recently moved out of home, and going to the shops and buying five or six things, each costing $60 bucks, isn’t ideal, but I’m getting through it. I have to eat,” another student shared.