Deepening Student Poverty in the Covid-19 Pandemic: The Case of Sakarya University

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic has further internalized and deepened the existing poverty. The economic crisis created by Covid-19 made it difficult to meet the basic needs (food, drink, shelter, etc.), and one of the areas where the effects were felt the most was education. This process was tried to be overcome with various solution methods such as distance education, but students faced access problems due to lack of support and infrastructure or financial inadequacies. With the new normalization, university students who are trying to be self-sufficient with the transition to face-to-face education have also experienced serious difficulties in housing due to the cost of living, which is a result of Covid-19. The aim of the study is to reveal whether student poverty deepens in this process. Student poverty was measured through a questionnaire on 356 undergraduate students studying at various faculties of Sakarya University. The collected questionnaires were analyzed using the SPSS V24 program. As a result, it has been determined that student poverty deepens in the field of basic needs (food/eating) and education, and faces risks such as hunger and inability to access basic needs. In addition, it was observed that the students could not reach the meat-chicken-fish food group, which is in the luxury food group and important for development, and they skipped meals a few days a week or almost every day. In addition, it has been determined that psychosocial support is not easily accessible, distance education creates reluctance to participate in education, and students see their reluctance as an obstacle created by distance education.