Students 'considering selling drugs and turning to OnlyFans' as they face cost of living crunch

Students 'considering selling drugs and turning to OnlyFans' as they face cost of living crunch Students have considered selling drugs and have turned to OnlyFans in a desperate bid to make the money they need to study, with some saying they have also skipped meals One in seven students are being forced to skip meals and some are even turning to sex work in order to stay afloat amid the cost of living crisis, a new survey has found. The survey, conducted by student portal Unifresher, found that, of 500 people they quizzed on their financial difficulties, 74 said they were cutting back on food, skipping meals or going without altogether to make rent and utilities payments while studying. Others said they had been forced to sell treasured belongings as they found themselves cash-strapped. A smaller proportion of the group were left so desperate that they confessed they had turned to sex work or even considered selling drugs to make ends meet. Unifreshers asked students about the most drastic steps they had taken to make money, including the following open question in their survey: "What’s the most drastic thing you’ve done to be able to afford rent, bills and other parts of student life?" The responses they received included 74 who said they went hungry as their most extreme step. Another 58 people said they had sold belongings, and another 37 said they had brrowed, used their overdrafts, or just allowed themselves to fall into arrears. The platform, which is run by student writers and content editors to provide independent university rankings and advice for students, said some of the respondents had admitted to turning to cereal and reduced super noodles to save money on food. One student said in their reply: "Ate cereal and water for 2 weeks as I couldn't afford to spend any money until rent was paid." Another said: "I didn't use any electrical appliances for 4 days to make just enough to eat, and then ate reduced super noodles for 14p a pack." And a third said: "Didn't eat for a week to save some extra money just in case." Another theme was selling prized items like their games consoles in order to make rent and electricity bills on time. One respondent said: "I had to sell my favourite electronics, including my gaming console, just to make sure I could pay my rent and electricity bills on time." Another said: "Sold 80 percent of my wardrobe on Vinted." The most shocking moneymaking moves came from students who turned to sex work for cash. The difficulties experienced by students have been reflected in other surveys, with another from Save the Student earlier this year finding that nearly two-thirds - 63 percent - occasionally skipped meals to save money. Another nine percent of the 1,419 respondents said they turned to food banks during the 2025/26 academic year, and more than one in four students said they held at least two jobs. Students are especially open to cost of living issues, as they are left reliant on maintenance loans, which have failed to keep pace with rising inflation. Over the last 10 years, living costs have surged by 47 percent, the rate of inflation has increased by 41 percent, but maintenance loans have only grown 37 percent. Students are on average spending up to £10,227 per year on average across living expenses, accommodation costs, travel, study material and homeware. The national average maintenance loan is however just £7,600. While maintenance loans will rise with inflation with the 2026/2027 academic year, experts, including Martin Lewis, have warned it is "not enough" to offset the financial difficulties. Unifreshers found that those difficulties have left nearly half of students considering dropping out of university altogether. Some said they had turned to OnlyFans, the adult content site that allows users to sell self-made sexual content, and one user said they "sold my body for sex". Another told Unifreshers: "I’ve considered doing online ragebait or onlyfans." One student said they "almost got into selling drugs but I didnt". Aminah Barnes, head of content at Unifresher, said the survey results show students who are "choosing between eating and paying the rent", not "being careless with money". She said: "These are not students being careless with money. These are students choosing between eating and paying the rent, and too many are choosing to go hungry. Behind every percentage point is a young person skipping meals so they can stay housed."