No Funding for 6+ Years Workers in 13+ Depts! Are You Affected Too?

TL;DR: Graduate workers 6th-year and above are being abruptly and unjustly denied all funding to continue their degree. International workers are under threat of deportation within the next few weeks. Fill out this survey if you are affected and join in the fight to stop admin from getting away with this!

Some of our rising 6th and 7th year coworkers have been abruptly told by admin that Advanced Student Quarter (ASQ) funding will be significantly curtailed, effective immediately. This is an EXTREMELY URGENT issue, especially for international graduate workers, who are at risk of deportation. 

What does this mean?

• Workers losing opportunities for funding that they have traditionally gotten in the past & may have counted on for their course of study.
• Workers were only informed in the last month of this academic year. Many others are still waiting for Weinberg to approve funding!
• Workers are unable to finish their degree or are suddenly forced to graduate on an incredibly accelerated timescale.
• International workers will not be able to renew their visas. They need to demonstrate proof of funding, otherwise they are at risk of being deported without finishing their degree!!

Admin's Excuses:

• "You can apply for outside funding"
  • Workers were warned too late; most deadlines have passed.
  • International workers can’t work outside Northwestern or apply for most external fellowships.
• "Dissertation writing isn’t actually work"
  • Research is the work of academia! Why else do faculty members get paid sabbaticals? 
• "The money to pay for increased grad worker wages has to come from somewhere"
  • Northwestern has ample endowment funds but isn’t using them to pay the deserved and won raise.
• "Workers can pay an enrollment fee to continue their education without funding"
  • Admins haven’t clarified this option, even to the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (OISS) or department admins.
  • This doesn't provide proof of funding or NU-SHIP coverage, both required for visa status renewal.
  • Workers would need to pay tens of thousands out of pocket, and internationals need to show $40K+ in their bank accounts for visa status renewal.

What can you do about it? 

 If this is happening to you or someone you know, tell us here: