On why we need to stop talking about tuition waivers as if they are compensation for PhD students.
In a recent post, I advocated for US #PhDstudents to receive more compensation & better benefits. (https://lnkd.in/e8223pJV)
Several people commented (publicly or privately) that I had failed ot take into account the value of tuition waivers.
They implied that tuition waivers made it a good deal & that #PhD students should be glad their packages are so generous.
Normally, I don't respond to comments.
However.
I feel compelled to post on #tuitionwaivers & why we need to stop thinking of them as compensation.
(1) every Ph.D. student appreciates their tuition waiver.
Gratitude isn't income.
(2) tuition waivers do not feed your family.
Sure. Tuition waivers have value. But, you can't take it to the grocery store for formula ... or use it to pay rent.
(3) tuition waivers create the artificial impression of the well-compensated Ph.D. student.
Most Ph.D. students make 25,000 USD or less.
Most tuition waivers are worth more than 25,000 USD.
The poverty line for a family of four is 27,500 or so USD.
Absent the mythical waiver income, Ph.D. students, esp. with families, live below the poverty line.
(4) most Ph.D. students create more than the value of their tuition waiver.
Many PhD students fill essential roles for research or teaching.
Each helps to generate revenue for the university - through grants or supporting instruction.
A class full of students is worth a lot more than 25k.
(5) tuition waivers perpetuate privilege.
Note point 2, tuition waivers do not feed families. Note point 3, create the perception of income.
The reality is the constraints of supporting a family & a lack of income make it almost impossible for poor people to earn advanced degrees.
If waivers are an excuse to not pay people, they perpetuate a privileged system, that education was meant to overcome (in the United States).
What to do?
Faculty and #parents of #undergraduatestudents should ask for better compensation for PhD students.
Everyone deserves a living wage - esp. the person supporting your research or teaching your child.
So raise your voices, support PhD students, and let's build a better academe!
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