“Living at home means I sleep on my family’s couch, do my work on an old, borrowed laptop, and navigate two family members constantly coming home from work, one being a nurse. My experience of Yale classes online in the spring makes me anxious about a digital semester.”

Living at home means I sleep on my family’s couch, do my work on an old, borrowed laptop, and navigate two family members constantly coming home from work, one being a nurse. My experience of Yale classes online in the spring makes me anxious about a digital semester. As a student, I want to commit to academics and focus on my work. In order to finish my senior year in the best way possible, I need to find off-campus housing. Since I am on full aid, my award includes a refund from Yale to fund this housing search. Despite this refund, I am still greatly inhibited by the Student Income Contribution. The SIC will reduce the amount of money that I have available, and it will make sure that I spend time working instead of learning when that expectation is not placed on my wealthier peers. Because Yale has upheld the SIC for students in residence, I am very worried that I will not be able to comfortably live off campus with the amount I am getting. Even in moving off campus and having my own place, I will still have financial constraints getting in the way of my studies. With the existence of the SIC, Yale is asserting that me paying money in the form of the SIC is more important than my education. If Yale wants to provide equitable education for all students, they must eliminate the SIC.

Josh Diaz, he/him/his, 2021, MC