Money Beyond Tuition, Room, and Board
Although I am not on financial aid, that doesn’t mean I don’t see how unfair student life is for those who aren’t lucky enough to have grandparents who can afford to send them to Yale. Being a student costs money beyond tuition, room, board, and textbooks. For example, last semester, I was the social chair for a student organization, which meant that I had to put down the money up front for food, parties, etc. Although I was eventually reimbursed for what I spent, I had to put down about $300 of my own money-- $300 that not every student at Yale would be able to offer. Because of the arduous student contribution, even the lower-income students who have student jobs are essentially barred from holding certain positions simply by virtue of their parents’ income. Yale should be a place where people of all backgrounds can participate fully in social events and extracurricular activities. It is not reasonable to expect lower-income students to be able to hold a 13-hour-a-week job, buy textbooks, devote thousands of dollars to tuition, and still have time and money left over to have a life. I hate to think of any of my friends being unable to fully participate in student life simply because their family has less money than mine.
