International Journal of Academic and Applied Research (IJAAR) ISSN: 2643-9603 Vol. 9 Issue 9 September - 2025, Pages: 101-107 www.ijeais.org/ijaar 101 Poverty and Higher Education: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Financially Struggling Students at the University of Rajshahi Md. Mahbubul Alam1, Md. Yeasir Arafat2, Nazmul Hasan Raz3, Shammi Islam4 1Department of Political Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh E-mail: marufsheikh792@gmail.com 2Department of Political Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh E-mail: s2211143179@ru.ac.bd 3Department of Political Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh E-mail: knajmul430@gmail.com 4Department of Political Science, University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh E-mail: tanimahima@gmail.com Abstract: This study captures the lived experiences of financially struggling students at the University of Rajshahi and describes how poverty affects their academic, psychological, and social well-being. Data was collected employing a structured questionnaire with closed- and open-ended questions using a mixed-method approach. Thus, this study will look at how money problems affect learning, not having enough to eat, availability of scholarships, feeling left out, mental health state and ways of dealing among students who are in a money crisis. Results show that most of the students face moderate to severe financial stress which breaks their focus and involvement in university life as well as hurting their mental health and sense of worth. Part-time jobs, loans and skipped meals are some coping mechanisms found. Further, the study participants perceived a lack of institutional support and therefore urgently need targeted interventions which shall include expanded financial aid, mental health services, and campus policies that are truly inclusive. This research enlightens university policymakers, educators, and society about the structural barriers impeding fair access to higher education this being an appeal for reforms based on educational justice. Keywords: Financial Hardship, Higher Education, University of Rajshahi, Coping Strategies, Poverty. Introduction Education means a systematic approach to a particular topic or course to make someone fully understand it by a certain organization or person within a proper environment and infrastructure (Arafat & Fahmida, 2024). But, it is very difficult within some constraints. Higher education, it should go without saying, is understood as a means of social mobility, financial security and adult development. But for students with a low socio-economic status, the path to university is fraught before they arrive in the lecture theatre. Tuition and books, housing, technology and more are all pressure points, as are mental health strains, daily routines and academic obligations. Student satisfaction has emerged as a critical measure of quality assurance and institutional effectiveness in higher education (Alam, Arafat, & Mahmud, 2025). Bangladesh’s national integrity system remains weak due to a combination of institutional, political, and societal shortcomings (Arafat & Fahmida, 2025; Arafat et al., 2025). Here, public universities are the sole path to upward mobility, students from lower-income and middle-class families must also manage education in combination with economic constraints. Rajshahi University, one of the country’s leading public universities, draws students from all over Bangladesh — many of them from rural or poor families. For these students, university is not just an intellectual passage but a financial one. Many develop coping mechanisms like part- time work, tutoring and borrowing from relatives or friends — or going into debt on basic needs like food. Such financial difficulties can evoke emotional strain, social isolation and academic struggles that all affect the collegiate experience. Although research is ever more highlighting the poverty– employment nexus, comprehensive qualitative data from Bangladesh on how poor students experience higher education inside universities remains scarce. An understanding of these experiences is important for the development of policies and supports to assist quality education and student well-being. The present investigation is upon the coping strategies in day-to-day life and educational consequences of financial crises among students studying at Rajshahi University, Bangladesh. Across these stories, the study seeks to showcase resiliency, challenges and dreams of students negotiating higher education complexities in a context of poverty. Methodology Research means a systematic finding and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new results (Arafat, 2024). The study used mixed method to collect and analyze data to explore the lived experiences of economically challenged students at the University of Rajshahi. Data were gathered by means of a self-administered structured questionnaire and individual semi-structured interviews from 100 respondents. The questionnaire collected information regarding students’ demographic characteristics, financial pressures, and how these financial pressures were affecting students’ academic and personal lives. It comprised both closed questions for statistical analysis and open prompts to enable gaining more insight. Separate meetings were also held in connection with the questionnaire to get a feel for the emotional and social consequences of financial distress. Face-