Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs
Is the provision for room and board insufficient to pay anyone's actual costs of room and board? If so, why hasn't it been changed?
|
My experience is that these estimates are
frequently too low, and they aren't changed because the policymakers aren't relying on research to set the figures, but rather on one or more of adjusting the number to match the available funds (so that any accusations of irresponsibility fall not on them but on those they're aiding), a "gut feeling," or years- or decades-out-of-date personal experience.
Here in Montréal, for instance, you need $1,500/month or around $18,000/year to get by at a marginal level; that's our municipal poverty line. Only the most prestigious fellowships beat that (barely: $21,000); even the highest levels of student aid are at around just 50% of that amount (~$8,500). All of which ignores the fact that to live at a marginal level, you can't reside anywhere near the universities (all of which are in expensive areas), meaning significant time and money wasted getting to and from.
To bring it on topic: University students might well need One-Task Wonder (Accounting defaults to full IQ for my personal finances) or similar, though probably not a skill. Scrounging is common, though.