The University Has the Resources
I respect Yale and its effort to expand the impact of its financial aid. That being said, there remains a lot to be done.
The university, with its colossal $26 billion endowment, undoubtedly has the financial resources to be able to eliminate the student income contribution so that impoverished students are not dishing out the same amount as their more affluent peers.
The student income contribution forces students into working, which can detract significantly from the Yale experience. In high school, I worked 14–20 hours a weekend during my junior year, and it was stressful to be constantly scrubbing dishes, filling out orders, wiping off tables, stacking up chairs, and scouring grimy kitchen sinks while in the back of my mind I was always worried about my academic work. I was stressed out beyond measure and my friends often told me that I was too reserved and quiet. It is stressful having to balance a cramped work schedule with extracurriculars and academics. I was really irked when I found out about the student income contribution in May 2014, and how it applied to all students on financial aid.
I stressed out for most of the summer and applied for a job at a multi-service center to raise money for my student income contribution.
I found out in July 2014, after speaking to a financial aid officer that the Gates Millennium Scholarship would cover both the summer and term-time components of the contribution.
Gates has made my financial situation very stable, and I commend it for offering this opportunity. Nonetheless, Yale has more that I can do, not for me necessarily but for students struggling to balance work and academics. Let Yale students focus more on self-development. Eliminate the student income contribution and do away with so-called "self-help."
The university, with its colossal $26 billion endowment, undoubtedly has the financial resources to be able to eliminate the student income contribution so that impoverished students are not dishing out the same amount as their more affluent peers.
The student income contribution forces students into working, which can detract significantly from the Yale experience. In high school, I worked 14–20 hours a weekend during my junior year, and it was stressful to be constantly scrubbing dishes, filling out orders, wiping off tables, stacking up chairs, and scouring grimy kitchen sinks while in the back of my mind I was always worried about my academic work. I was stressed out beyond measure and my friends often told me that I was too reserved and quiet. It is stressful having to balance a cramped work schedule with extracurriculars and academics. I was really irked when I found out about the student income contribution in May 2014, and how it applied to all students on financial aid.
I stressed out for most of the summer and applied for a job at a multi-service center to raise money for my student income contribution.
I found out in July 2014, after speaking to a financial aid officer that the Gates Millennium Scholarship would cover both the summer and term-time components of the contribution.
Gates has made my financial situation very stable, and I commend it for offering this opportunity. Nonetheless, Yale has more that I can do, not for me necessarily but for students struggling to balance work and academics. Let Yale students focus more on self-development. Eliminate the student income contribution and do away with so-called "self-help."
