Not all grad students have a spouse or parents to supplement our underwhelming stipends. I need people to understand how hard it is for students who live off of their stipends. What's the saddest thing that has happened as a result of you being underpaid as a grad student?
For me, it was probably all the nights when I had water for dinner. That's not a joke, although I wish it were. Filling up on water would make the growling stop so my stomach would hurt less.
By the way, many grad students will qualify for food stamps. It depends on how your tuition remission works. I really wish someone had told me I could qualify for food stamps. I assumed I couldn't because the tuition remission would count as income and I wouldn't qualify.
#GradPrograms really should list information on applying to benefits in the handbook, if they aren't going to at least pay us a living wage.
Full disclosure: this was WITH my parents trying to help me out however they could. There were STILL nights I couldn't eat. It can be a cost to the whole family or make family members feel bad that they can't "make up the difference" to a livable wage. That's how bad it is.
You can have a supportive family who wants to help but literally cannot make up for the cost of living. All this does is keep academia more exclusive to the rich and make anyone who isn't rich feel bad. It's awful.
We can't expect loved ones to foot the bill for grad students to not starve. Loved ones have to eat, too. They have bills to pay. Many don't have the luxury of giving us the financial support they wish they could.
I was trying to reply to everyone who shared their experience. The fact that I can't keep up anymore is heartbreaking. Know that I see you. I hear you. The things that happened to you shouldn't have. I am angry for all of us.
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