Dozens of graduate students at the University of Kentucky organized Monday to advocate for higher stipend pay from school administration.
UK offers graduate workers, like teaching or research assistants, yearly stipends to cover the cost of living.
But organizers like UK instructor Kathryn Copeland say they’re too low for many students.
“We had around 110 graduate students answer our survey basically just asking basic questions like, how much do you pay rent, how much you spend on groceries, transportation, those kinds of things, and we basically found that the numbers don't match up,” Copeland said.
Amounts currently range as high as $26,000 to as low as $10,000 dollars each year, depending on the department. MIT’s Living Wage Calculator says the minimum living wage for Lexington is around $40,000.
The United Campus Workers of Kentucky are advocating for a minimum of $25,000 for all graduate positions.
Dorian Cleveland is a second-year graduate student. He says lower stipends make it harder for his peers to afford basic needs.
“They may not have enough money to travel back to where they're from during the winter break, because they don't have enough money to do so,” Cleveland said. “Or even people who are staying within the city, they might not have enough money to actually take care of themselves.”
A statement emailed from UK to WEKU says most departments offer stipends at or above the average of other comparative schools.
“It’s important to remember that departments, which make decisions about final stipend amounts, may pay above the baseline amount,” the statement says. “We will continue to assess stipends, benefits and scholarships to ensure that we are competitive and providing support to graduate students.”
The baseline for most stipends is also set to be raised next year.
** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.
