For full financial aid.

As I reflect on the end of my time at Yale, especially my last few months in quarantine, it was my connections with a wide variety of student groups and communities that carried me through. In New Haven, I barely had enough time for those activities and my classes. If I had needed to pay the SIC, it would have been impossible for me to participate in all those communities.

As I reflect on the end of my time at Yale, especially my last few months in quarantine, it was my connections with a wide variety of student groups and communities that carried me through. In New Haven, I barely had enough time for those activities and my classes. If Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

After we went remote, I was paid less than I would have been for my spring semester work, and lost the paid opportunities for commencement and this summer. Now, my savings account has… no savings. Any money I do have saved will be paid to Yale’s SIC or summer income contribution, instead of a post-grad opportunity or any contingency plan in deferring next semester.

Before COVID-19 changed my plans, I was going to use this spring and summer as an opportunity to save money. These are the last few months before my senior year, and my on-campus jobs, commencement job, and work plans for summer were all going to add money into my savings Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

Beyond classes, slower internet also meant that my work as a CS major was stifled because online resources had a harder time loading. If the SIC were eliminated (including the non-billed portion), a stipend would’ve perhaps allowed us to afford because internet which would’ve helped alleviate these challenges.

During the rest of the spring semester as classes online, me and my housemates who remained off-campus in New Haven (and are each on financial aid) faced several resource-related barriers in our attempts to keep up with our schoolwork. Being forced to only use our personal wifi for virtual classes, Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

With my free time I’ve been able to pick up memberships in multiple clubs, including Yale Dems, First Years in Service, and Club Running. I can’t say the same for some of my friends who have had to balance the rigor of a Yale course load with the extracurricular and social challenges that come with acclimating to a place with as many opportunities as Yale.

The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated and accentuated the societal inequalities that exist in our communities and Yale is no exception. I’m fortunate enough to not have been greatly affected by the crisis, neither economically nor socially. During my time at Yale, I have not had to worry about sending money Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

Several non-profit student organizations such as Matriculate have begun offering small stipends to low-income student volunteers recognizing the burden on low-income students — it’s time Yale recognizes this as well!

From my first week at Yale, I have had to seek out paid opportunities in order to fulfill the SIC unlike my wealthier peers who could pursue roles based solely on interest. Although I have loved my student jobs, the significant hours I’ve worked have greatly limited my ability to Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

“The summer contribution has been stressing me out in recent days — it requires me to work in a paid position, in addition to the current remote work I’m doing, to earn the money in full, which would mean working in retail or food service for part of my summer. Meanwhile, I live with my grandma and I’ve barely left my house in an effort to keep her as safe as possible, and yet I’m expected to contribute that money to my college education.”

The SIC has been frustrating to me, to say the least. The summer contribution has been stressing me out in recent days — it requires me to work in a paid position, in addition to the current remote work I’m doing, to earn the money in full, which would mean Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

“It is outrageous to think that any student on Yale’s campus would be prevented from fully taking ownership of their college experience with the magnitude of resources at this institution’s disposal.”

Since joining Yale’s campus, I have had time. I have had time to further my passions on campus that I had energetically carried with me from high school as well as the time to explore new avenues of interest. I have been able to juggle working in a science laboratory, Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago

“How can Yale profess to care about our mental health when it continues to allow the SIC to burden its student body, particularly its BIPOC and working class students?”

Since classes were moved online, I’ve continued holding biweekly sessions with the therapist I was seeing at the start of the semester. This experience has made me question what mental health therapy at Yale should truly entail. During this time, I went through some of the worst depression and anxiety Read more…

By Students Unite Now, ago