Yale University is confronting significant student resistance as undergraduates voice strong objections to recent policy changes affecting their financial stability. The concerns center around shrinking work opportunities, narrowing wage advantages, and the consolidation of crucial summer funding programs.
Summer Awards Consolidation Sparks Outrage
At a town hall organized by student advocacy group Students Unite Now (SUN), attendees openly discussed how these policy shifts could intensify financial pressure for those dependent on aid. The most vocal criticism targeted Yale's decision to replace two established summer funding programs - the International Study Award and the Summer Experience Award - with a single Summer Experience Grant.
Students argued that this restructuring effectively creates an impossible choice: pursue an international learning experience or secure a career-building internship, but not both. SUN organizers highlighted the timing of these cuts, noting they come immediately after Yale announced $4.5 billion in endowment returns. This timing, students assert, makes the reductions particularly difficult to justify.
According to SUN's outreach materials, the university is cutting grants that were promised during enrollment and potentially widening race and class-based inequality on campus.
Reduced Work Hours Create Financial Strain
Another major concern involves campus employment - a vital income source for many students. Organizers revealed that multiple departments have already cut the number of hours student workers can undertake. This change connects to Yale's 5% reduction in non-salary expenses ahead of an anticipated endowment tax increase.
Yale College Dean Pericles Lewis confirmed that the university plans an additional 5% reduction over the next three years, with student wages included in this category. He indicated that typical weekly hours might decrease from approximately seven to closer to five.
For students relying on these earnings for essentials like food, transportation, and academic materials, even minor reductions can create significant financial gaps. SUN's spring 2025 survey data shows that 82% of students working over 10 hours weekly receive financial aid, demonstrating how crucial campus jobs are for lower-income Yale students.
Wage Gap Disappearance Raises Concerns
The discussion also addressed wages, with student organizers noting that the gap between Yale's minimum student wage and Connecticut's state minimum has nearly vanished in recent years. The difference has shrunk from $2.40 in 2017 to just 15 cents today.
Currently, the lowest rate on the student employment portal stands at $16.50 per hour, barely above the state minimum. For organizers like AJ Wylie '26, this raises serious questions about whether student wages are keeping pace with rising living costs. Wylie contends that Yale's reluctance to expand support contributes to an environment that feels more exclusive and hostile to students of color.
Students Challenge University's Financial Narrative
Throughout the town hall, SUN members criticized what they described as Yale's crisis messaging approach, arguing that administrators frequently cite federal pressures - particularly the endowment tax - to justify reducing student support.
Dean Lewis maintained that working five to ten hours weekly benefits academic performance and noted that some students might still undertake more hours based on personal circumstances. However, organizers counter that this fails to address the fundamental issue: without adequate wages or grants, many students cannot afford Yale's academic and professional opportunities.
Clear Demands for Action
The event concluded with SUN presenting specific demands to university administration:
- A minimum student wage of $22 per hour
- Full restoration of both the International Study Award and Summer Experience Award
- Stronger protections ensuring financial aid policies don't force students to choose between academic enrichment and financial survival
Student organizers plan to continue mobilization efforts, collecting testimonies and highlighting the evolving financial landscape as Yale finalizes policies for the upcoming academic year.
