University students are expected to dedicate so much time and effort to research while being content with receiving next to nothing in return.

I'm working for a University-run program this summer for 12 weeks and am being paid $4,000 for it. I was ecstatic until I realized that:

1. I had been notified of my acceptance late enough that there were no viable subleases left in my area, which usually run at roughly $600/month and

2. the cost of University housing for that period would be approximately $3,450, plus or minus ~$100 depending on the final daily housing rate I'm given.

I'm expected to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, as well as create various final projects/papers, all in exchange for what ends up being just over $8/hour. The University-provided housing for the University-run program would be leaving me with roughly $500 to feed, clothe, and care for myself for three months, a minimal amount of which would be able to be set aside for future expenses.

Thankfully, I have parents who are more than happy to help me pay for my housing, but I know that plenty of people in my position do not have that luxury…and yet research is something that is heavily expected/required of students for many careers/academic fields. It's absurd that this school (along with many others) brags about its paid programs—at any academic level—and then provides students with barely enough to get by after they've fulfilled their basic needs, especially when using University resources (housing, dining, etc.).