(1) The inclusion of a waiver for the payment plan fee and late fees as part of a standard package for all graduate assistants at the University of Minnesota, so that all graduate assistants may pay out their fees over the course of the semester without incurring additional fees;
(2) A reexamination and revision of the timeline for the payment plan when applied to amounts under $2000 for the semester, including the availability to pay fees by the end of the semester without additional fees or to pay out on a weekly basis;
(3) Consider the rolling of all fees into tuition or into graduate assistant packages, which would mean significant tax savings and increased income for students;
Updates
February 20, 2014
The stories coming in about these financial burdens are gut-wrenching. I am currently compiling your experiences to present to the administration.
February 20, 2014
The momentum is undeniable. Administration cannot ignore us for much longer.
Reached 100 supporters
February 20, 2014
51 Comments
As part of the contract with my graduate program, I am not allowed to take on a second job. This means that I am limited to my small stipend and what savings I had built up before returning to school. The student fees are a significant burden, exacerbating a situation that makes it difficult for many to get through graduate school without incurring a large amount of debt.
My total bills are about $650 dollars greater than last semester. This is somewhat surprising. These limited reforms are the least the University can do to help meet us halfway.
Fees that are more appropriate for undergrads are applied to graduate students as well. Only fees applicable to the graduate student lifestyle and needs should be required
Yes, because fees are payed with TA's taxable income, it's a double penalty. Fees should be abolished for students in fields with insufficient support due to the absence of funding sources, such as the humanities.
point 1 is especially important for students whose first paycheck isn't enough to cover the cost of fees...students shouldn't have to pay twice by paying late fees or loan interest!
I was particulary annoyed by paying for the stadium fee in previous years. It was a small amount compared to the rest of PhD tuition, but nobody asked for my opinion about that! How can we prevent this from happening again?
On top of Tuition Fees, we are also paying Professional Student Governmt, Transportation Fee, CEHD Collegiate Fee. I don't even sure how we benefit from all these additional fees we are and have been paying.
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(1) The inclusion of a waiver for the payment plan fee and late fees as part of a standard package for all graduate assistants at the University of Minnesota, so that all graduate assistants may pay out their fees over the course of the semester without incurring additional fees;
(2) A reexamination and revision of the timeline for the payment plan when applied to amounts under $2000 for the semester, including the availability to pay fees by the end of the semester without additional fees or to pay out on a weekly basis;
(3) Consider the rolling of all fees into tuition or into graduate assistant packages, which would mean significant tax savings and increased income for students;
Updates
February 20, 2014
The stories coming in about these financial burdens are gut-wrenching. I am currently compiling your experiences to present to the administration.
February 20, 2014
The momentum is undeniable. Administration cannot ignore us for much longer.
Reached 100 supporters
February 20, 2014
51 Comments
We are year-round student employees, and do not have semester-based arrangements for payment of lump sums like undergraduates. These minor changes are simple and cost very little-- they are the very least a research-focused institution can do for its primary research personnel.
As part of the contract with my graduate program, I am not allowed to take on a second job. This means that I am limited to my small stipend and what savings I had built up before returning to school. The student fees are a significant burden, exacerbating a situation that makes it difficult for many to get through graduate school without incurring a large amount of debt.
My total bills are about $650 dollars greater than last semester. This is somewhat surprising. These limited reforms are the least the University can do to help meet us halfway.
Fees that are more appropriate for undergrads are applied to graduate students as well. Only fees applicable to the graduate student lifestyle and needs should be required
Yes, because fees are payed with TA's taxable income, it's a double penalty. Fees should be abolished for students in fields with insufficient support due to the absence of funding sources, such as the humanities.
point 1 is especially important for students whose first paycheck isn't enough to cover the cost of fees...students shouldn't have to pay twice by paying late fees or loan interest!
I was particulary annoyed by paying for the stadium fee in previous years. It was a small amount compared to the rest of PhD tuition, but nobody asked for my opinion about that! How can we prevent this from happening again?
On top of Tuition Fees, we are also paying Professional Student Governmt, Transportation Fee, CEHD Collegiate Fee. I don't even sure how we benefit from all these additional fees we are and have been paying.
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We are year-round student employees, and do not have semester-based arrangements for payment of lump sums like undergraduates. These minor changes are simple and cost very little-- they are the very least a research-focused institution can do for its primary research personnel.