For full financial aid.

“To Yale, the SIC is an expense they can distribute to everyone in a couple weeks — but to me, that money is educational expenses, and that money is time that I could be studying. The resulting worry and lack of time has definitely prevented me from reaching my full potential as a scholar.”

From March through May, my mom, who is a domestic housekeeper, lost all her clients due to fears about the COVID-19 crisis. The majority of them did not offer to continue to pay her at all despite the intense vulnerability and exposure my mom would face when she eventually returned Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

“Getting rid of the student income contribution would give students wider latitude with how they spend their DSA money, and encourage students to perform even more meaningful work on campus as well.”

As a first generation college student, I’ve seen firsthand how much some of my FGLI peers have struggled with getting a job after graduation. For many without connections, the process can take up to 5 months. I believe expanding the DSA to post graduation would give students a much needed Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

“Although I worked a campus job that may soon be nonexistent due to the precarious nature of the fall semester, it alone is not enough to cover the SIC and my mother has been working seven-day weeks and twelve-hour shifts for the past two years to make sure that I won’t have to deal with student loan debt in the future.”

Although I worked a campus job that may soon be nonexistent due to the precarious nature of the fall semester, it alone is not enough to cover the SIC and my mother has been working seven-day weeks and twelve-hour shifts for the past two years to make sure that I Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

I am fortunate enough to have most of my tuition covered by Yale and an outside scholarship to pay for my Student Share which means that I have received more gift aid than the billed expenses. However, none of this aid has ever been made available to me to put towards textbooks, travel, or other personal matters, even though Yale claims that the Student Share can be reduced by outside scholarships. Instead, in the summer of 2019, I worked in a lab.

With students located all over the world and coming from different financial backgrounds, how did Yale expect each student to have an equal experience during the COVID-19 pandemic? I am among the fortunate few to have fast internet access, but this wasn’t the case for many students—more in-class questions were Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

My financial reality at Yale has forced me to confront some hard truths: I’m not as academically successful as I could be. I’m not as well-rested as I could be. I’m not as good of a theatre maker as I could be. All because I have to spend a significant amount of time and energy each week working to keep myself financially afloat, and to support my family back home.

My financial reality at Yale has forced me to confront some hard truths: I’m not as academically successful as I could be. I’m not as well-rested as I could be. I’m not as good of a theatre maker as I could be. I’m not as good of a friend as Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

As such, Yale needs to consider the impacts of its financial aid policy on working-class students, such as myself, and understand that its billions need to be mobilized to make sure that the people that the university must serve (its students, workers, and community) have the support they need during this time.

My name is Sidney Carlson White, and I am a rising senior in Jonathan Edwards College. While I have been lucky enough to have a stable internet connection at home during the period of online classes, the transition to remote learning was never particularly easy for me, and I cannot Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

When you’re financially unstable on campus, you’re constantly wanting to seek help but it’s hard to balance with working and academics. Given Yale’s reputation with mental health services, it doesn’t even seem worth it to try to access them.

My dad is out of work, and my mom has had her wages cut. She’s also an essential worker and is at risk for contracting COVID-19. We don’t have the best healthcare, so it’s really stressful to think about how what we would do if she got sick. Dealing with Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

In my experience, not having to contribute to the SIC freed me to pursue the extracurricular activities I was passionate about, like rock climbing and Splash, and gave me breathing room in my schedule to get my schoolwork done and excel in my classes.

You don’t need to look just at Yale to see that the current pandemic is disproportionately impacting minority and lower income populations. When we get back to school there’s no doubt that this result will only deepen inequity among students. Measures like the elimination of the SIC are just some Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

In the midst of sacrificing everything just to stay afloat, many FGLI students cannot find the time to reflect on what they feel is worth living for. The day, week, and sometimes month long wait times these students experience before getting therapy for these feelings is yet another snippet of proof that showcases that Yale was designed to keep low-income students struggling much more than their wealthier counterparts.

As someone that is fortunate enough to have parents who can afford to cover my student income contribution, I have seen a notable difference between my life and the lives of my close friends who do not share that same privilege. When I am scrolling through Facebook to find college Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago