As senior students in Central Otago come to the end of the academic year, many - along with their parents - will be worrying about how they will afford tertiary study next year.

And rightly so: I moved from Alexandra to Christchurch to study last year and it's an expensive experience.

I was somewhat aware of the financial struggles ahead, but living at home had me blissfully ignorant of just how much everything costs.

Food, fuel, tuition fees, halls of residence, and social activities are all huge costs I have faced in my first year after leaving home. 

Food costs have gone up around 12 per cent this year according to Avanti Finance, and the removal of the fuel tax ‘band aid’ has resulted in an increase of around 29 cents per litre at the pump.  

The median price for a fully catered hall of residence in Christchurch is a whopping $22,100 - which can’t be put on a student loan.

The student lifestyle has become difficult to maintain with high prices causing anxiety, student loans being stretched to capacity, and halls of residence becoming a luxury. 

An Instagram poll I conducted showed 95 per cent of the 50 students who took part had been affected by the increased cost of living, and those who weren't affected lived at home.  

Central students - as well as their parents - need to be aware that having a student loan is not extra spending money; it is a necessity to survive/get through tertiary studies. 

Aspiring students have a choice: head out of town for a costly education, or stay home to study, or full-time work and make money.

The government needs to consider the student lifestyle and take action. MPs could consider subsidising the roughly $8,000 a year tuition costs, cheaper hall of residence options, and making more student funding options to support all students, no matter their situation. 

By making tertiary study more financially accessible, more high school students would consider leaving home to gain a degree they are interested in, instead of staying at home to work - or even leaving the country.

I often have conversations with mates regarding whether leaving home for tertiary education is actually worth it. Spending three years studying, living the cheap student lifestyle, just to end up with an expensive piece of paper, and years of student loans to repay - can it be justified? 

Don’t get me wrong, I am enjoying being in Christchurch, studying towards a degree I love and meeting new people, but I wish I knew first about the financial hole I’m going to find myself in at the end.

That’s something many Central Otago families are going to need to think about in the coming months.