As a recent college graduate, I have to say that I understand the frustration of current and former college students. I'm 23 years old, I work full time, and I will not be receiving a stimulus check from the government to help finish covering bills during this pandemic because of being claimed as a dependent on my mom's income tax during my last year of college.
I knew I could not be the only person feeling the stress or who could understand our stress, so I wanted to reach out to others to see if we shared the same opinion. Here's what they had to say about it.
1. Jenna S.
"I think it's stupid how I didn't qualify just because my parents filed me as a dependent. I have bills to pay too. I filed my taxes too. I have a real job too. Ugh." — Jenna S.
2. Daisy
"I think it's completely stupid. Obviously I am a little biased, but I am thinking about my friends who are 19 – 20. They're starting to become adults, but the needs may be different. I have friends who have been financially stable while in high school. But in my case, my parents were paying for my college and we didn't have much savings. Whatever savings we had is going into my service dog that costs about $12,000. We were counting on that extra $500 to just buy groceries. It's obviously not the same perspective. And also how grocers are upping prices when nobody knows when they can get enough money to afford this. I also have friends who have had to pay taxes since high school who were in college, and because their parents still considered them dependent, they get fucked over as well." — Daisy
3. Boni
"I think it's messed up I don't [qualify] just because my parents claim me on their taxes. My parents are going to share some of it with me, but I know not all parents would." — Boni
4. Brooke
"The stimulus checks aren't super beneficial for people living in housing that isn't affordable in the city. Low-income people who have high rent prices and got laid off OR have to work less hours now are struggling and the check is kind of helpful, but not really at the same time." — Brooke
5. Jenna F.
"I graduated in December of 2018 and started working full time within six months of leaving college. I have now been working nearly a year in law enforcement but I still don't qualify for the stimulus check. Since I didn't make enough money to file taxes when I was a student, I won't be getting anything. Meanwhile, I still have bills to pay and loans that are preventing me from buying a house. Even though I'm fortunate enough to have family support and a roof over my head, I can't imagine being a recent grad trying to afford the cost of living outside of D.C. during this crisis. I applaud the government for pausing federal loans, but we still need money to live and eat during this time!" — Jenna F.
6. Grace
"I think it's pretty ridiculous. Yes, there are people who the check will help, and that's really great. There are also people who don't need the extra money and are using it to buy a fancy new grill or whatever. And then there are people, like me and many other college students and recent grads who aren't eligible because we didn't file taxes in 2019 or have been claimed as a dependent but who STILL HAVE BILLS TO PAY. It's so frustrating. " — Grace
7. Alexandria
"I don't get the stimulus check because my mom had claimed me since I live at home until this summer (and I'm only there about three days a week). She doesn't get any money for myself of my high school sister (who was 17 when they filed and still lives at home). I basically pay for my stuff (obviously not a house or rent) and I was working 45 to 47.5 hours a week before I had to student teach. I was supposed to go back to work Monday (April 20) and now I can't because they are closed since it's a Montessori. I won't get a check from teaching until the end of September and that's if I can get a job. There are hardly any teaching openings in my area or within 50 miles. I believe this really screws college kids. Especially ones who graduated last spring and have since moved out. If their parents claimed them on 2018 taxes and hadn't filed for 2019 taxes before they announced this, they don't get that check and get screwed. My boyfriend and I planned to move out and buy a house or even rent somewhere to move out when you're both out of a job and aren't getting that extra money to help." — Alexandria
8. Anna
"I'm in my first year teaching and so I still have a job and I'm still getting paid like I normally would. I know there are a lot of people in their first 'real' job out of college who aren't so fortunate. I think the hardest part about it is that you can have the best financial plan in the world and follow all the recommendations, but when you're recently out of college you haven't had a chance to save money. This means that when things like national crises occur and you can't work, you have very few options other than relying on your family to help bail you out. That meme where the wave is coming to destroy the sandcastle conveys the disappointment and helplessness pretty well." — Anna
9. Aimee
"I don't know how those who are not getting a stimulus check not receiving help from their parents are making it." — Aimee
SEE ALSO: I'm 19 And Won't Get ANY Help From The Coronavirus Aid Package, Thanks For Nothing, Congress
10. Courtney
"I think it's just another example of how so many people fall through the cracks when it comes to receiving financial aid when they need it most. Immigrants who aren't US citizens aren't receiving the help they need, and neither are many homeless people. For me, it points to the problems with the big picture that we have in our country. I also think that it shows that the government doesn't value education as much as they should. Students who work very hard to put themselves through school and pour thousands of dollars into their universities deserve help during this time. For example, I'm a former college student. I graduated in May of 2019, and my parents still claimed me as a dependent on their taxes, even though I pay for my own rent, food, gas, etc. I'm not receiving any financial help during this time in terms of a stimulus check. I've also had issues with unemployment. I filed a month ago and got approved, but have yet to receive anything. To me, making unemployment so hard to get, as well as all of the time you have to spend sorting out any mistakes that the government makes, is a slap in the face to those who need aid during this time." — Courtney
11. Rebecca
"I'm not really affected by this much since I do not pay my own bills right now, but I can 100 percent see how this would badly affect college students who have books and classes to pay for, etc." — Rebecca
12. Tanner
"I believe that the population of college students being claimed as dependents are the ones that need the check the most. I personally haven't been in the situation myself, but I can only imagine how hard it is having a job and being a full-time student." — Tanner
13. Christian
"I think if you are out of college already, then you should receive it especially if you are living on your own out of college!" — Christian
At the end of the day, I, along with probably everyone above, am not mad that there are some young people getting checks, we're just mad that we are also not eligible to receive that support based on taxes filed in 2019.
A lot of 17 to 23-year-olds have jobs and bills of some sort. Maybe they just have one bill or maybe they are paying many bills but either way, they would have benefited from receiving a stimulus check just like many others. College graduates have full-time jobs and bills, and they get screwed all because it was in the best interest financially for them to be claimed by their parents on the previous years taxes. Some of these people who were claimed last year no longer live under the same roof as their parents for whatever circumstance and are now trying to support themselves, which is incredibly hard without being eligible to receive financial help from the government during this time of crisis.
The moral of the story is that college students aren't exaggerating, they're not being whiney or overdramatic. They're also struggling during this pandemic and, frankly, they don't need your negativity.
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