Contribution Changes Choices
The first way that this issue has affected me is that I feel pressure not to talk about the fact that I’m not on financial aid. I’m afraid that when I do, if there is someone around who is on financial aid, it could create a rift between us. It reminds me of the fact that I can relate to viewing others as having more privilege than me and when I do that, I have a strong tendency to put them into an “outgroup.” So I feel that people might do the same to me if I told them that I am not on financial aid. This is a significant problem, especially as a result of the student income contribution. It motivates students not to talk about things that are important to them and their lives, which splinters the community.
One example of ways in which people's lives are negatively affected by the student income contribution is that for people who are on financial aid, the fact that they need to contribute to their tuition sometimes impacts what choices they make over their college career. For example, I’m a STEM major and it is common that people may sometimes be forced to go into higher paying careers that they find less interesting because they need the money, or take internships they find less interesting if they need to pay their student income contribution. Personally I have been able to do research over the summers that I find more interesting than working in other potentially more well paid options because I did not have to worry about how much I was paid, and it is unfair that people are excluded from these opportunities. Also, I am taking research for course credit this semester, rather than for money, which allows me to fulfill my graduation requirements rather than having to pay the student income contribution. This is totally unfair.
One example of ways in which people's lives are negatively affected by the student income contribution is that for people who are on financial aid, the fact that they need to contribute to their tuition sometimes impacts what choices they make over their college career. For example, I’m a STEM major and it is common that people may sometimes be forced to go into higher paying careers that they find less interesting because they need the money, or take internships they find less interesting if they need to pay their student income contribution. Personally I have been able to do research over the summers that I find more interesting than working in other potentially more well paid options because I did not have to worry about how much I was paid, and it is unfair that people are excluded from these opportunities. Also, I am taking research for course credit this semester, rather than for money, which allows me to fulfill my graduation requirements rather than having to pay the student income contribution. This is totally unfair.
