Rotorua's tertiary students are experiencing a harder time making ends meet than their peers studying in Palmerston North and Dunedin, a new survey suggests.
The 2014 Income and Expenditure Survey, conducted by the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations (NZUSA), has painted an "alarming" picture for Rotorua students.
The survey states Rotorua now has a higher student cost of living than Palmerston North and Dunedin.
"This should be of concern as Rotorua is less likely to have part-time work opportunities that sustains the student economies in those other centres. Even provincial centres such as Rotorua are not inexpensive anymore," the report said.
This is the first time Rotorua has had a sufficient sample size to be looked at independently.
Waiariki Student Association chairwoman Amy Uluave said she regularly saw the effects of financial struggle on students.
"You see students walking into class all stressed out because they are missing a day of work to be at school studying. This constant worry puts such a strain on their study and they ultimately end up choosing between work so they can pay their bills, and study.
"It is alarming to think Rotorua is more expensive than centres like Palmerston North and Dunedin because I don't think many students would expect that when choosing to study here.
"Factors like job shortages and housing shortages impact how students get income and how much they spend on the essentials. When they are solely relying on student allowance or living cost, they are left with very little, if anything at all."
Waiariki student Tyla Hamon said she started the year living in Rotorua with her aunt but found it too expensive and decided to move to Tokoroa to live with her parents.
She said a combination of essential living costs and a lack of jobs made Rotorua a hard place to live for students.
"I was constantly looking for a part-time job but there was nothing available. It was so hard to concentrate in class because I would be worrying about money issues.
"Moving back to Tokoroa was a positive move for me because it meant I was able to live more comfortably and put my energy into study but that's not an option for everybody."
Rotorua Budget Advisory Service's Pearl Pavitt said they once had a budgeting advisor stationed at Waiariki, but do not any longer.
She said students rarely, if at all, came into the Rotorua Budget Advisory office, "likely because Waiariki is where it is, and we are situated in town so we are out of the way for most students".
"Make sure there are clear guidelines of what everybody's responsibilities are and which bills will be shared and which will be individual," she said.