TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Rising prices are hitting college students in Tucson, making it harder to afford essentials like food and rent while keeping up with school.
Grace McCool, a sophomore at the University of Arizona, works at Safeway to help manage expenses. Even with her job, grocery costs continue to climb.
“I work at the Safeway down at Broadway and Campbell, and even then, just the prices go up a lot,” McCool said.
She says she typically spends about $100 on groceries, with her job helping to cut costs. Rent and utilities are also a major concern. “Utilities and rent are really high,” she said.
One good thing has been Tucson’s free public transportation. “What really helps me is the public bus is still free,” McCool said. “They keep trying to bring back the pay for that, and I’m like, please don’t.”
With rising prices, balancing work and school has been a lot for McCool. “Before spring break, I was taking six classes on top of work,” McCool said. “It was incredibly hard. I was super drained... I was falling behind, and my professors were reaching out like, ‘Hey, are you OK? How can we help?’”
Nationwide, grocery prices are up nearly 3% from last year, according to the USDA. Students like McCool are feeling those increases every day.
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