The examples in the survey were not about kids spending it on alcohol!
What happens is the low-income students’ financial aid is set to be “just enough” – there’s no room in the budget for luxury, but more importantly there is no room in the budget for when “life happens” or when a bill is due before the financial aid check is available. Because the budget is so tight, kids almost have to cut back in food as it’s their only weekly discretionary spending.
The kids were answering an anonymous survey about their experiences. They weren’t complaining or asking for handouts. In fact, not wanting to ask for more help is part of the reason they were skipping meals.