AJ Tapia-Wylie, Hopper '26

During my first year at Yale I received the startup grant, which afforded me time and money to become accustomed to this new place. As a first-generation, low-income student, having extra time to socialize and get accustomed to Yale’s culture meant that I felt a sense of belonging that my wealthier and legacy peers had already been afforded. When my second year rolled around, however, I realized that I needed a job. So, I took the first one I could find at the Berkeley Dining Hall.

Around the same time I also received a fellowship designed to support first-generation students and scholars of color. While I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity, only a handful of other students were selected to be a part of my cohort. Why do low-income students of color have to compete for what the University could easily provide? Yale knows that the “Yale experience” is reliant on access – why are only a select few given the chance to get the most out of Yale? By expanding the startup grant and raising wages for student workers, Yale could provide for us what it advertises itself to be. My time at Yale showed me that financial support isn’t limited—it’s selective. As a low-income student, my friends and I navigate a maze of applications for resources Yale could offer outright. The University manages the student financial divide the same way it manages its relationship with New Haven: offering just enough to claim support, but not enough to shift the balance. Norah Laughter has been fighting to change this alongside me each step of the way, so vote for consistency and commitment to equity!