An increasing number of hard up students are resorting to food parcels.

The cost of third level education has jumped by almost 10 per cent in the past year – and parents who’ve lost their jobs are under pressure to make ends meet.

According to a Cost of Living Guide released by Dublin Institute of Technology, those living away from home will be hit with a bill of 7-thousand-803 euro during the coming academic year.

While students who commute from the family home to college will still fork out over 4-thousand euro.

According to the Irish Daily Mail, DIT has seen a 40 per cent rise in applications for the student assistance fund this year.