After my old laptop crashed, I had to buy a new one last week, making any spending I do for the rest of month seem like a risk-- what if an emergency happens and I need the money then? I have minimal savings, as I have been hemorrhaging money since I started grad school . After taxes, my income as a TA is $2100/month. However, during fall quarter it was $1600/month after taxes because our choices were wait until November to have our earnings disbursed three times over the quarter, or have it disbursed four times starting in October. With my rent at $920/mo (for a room in a house which I share with four other people), neither of these options were ideal, but living off of less than $1000 after paying rent this fall was hard and demoralizing.
"With my rent at $920/mo (for a room in a house which I share with four other people), neither of these options were ideal, but living off of less than $1000 after paying rent this fall was hard and demoralizing."
Additionally, even making so little money, I did not qualify for CalFresh (food stamps), which does not have an adequate framework for understanding graduate student labor. I still do not know what I am doing for income this summer, which is a necessity because I live off-campus and do not want to lose my apartment. I have been subsidizing my needs with credit card and BARC debt for two years now, which just makes getting financially stable a more distant dream. I need a COLA because I am worried about money constantly, to the point that it interferes with my scholarship. Many of my immediate problems would be solved with having an income that’s relative to the high cost of living in Santa Barbara.
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