Op-ed: College kids won’t be counting money

by Patrick McDonough

Stimulus checks were given out during this crisis in order to keep the economy moving, but millions of college students had not qualified to receive the checks.

The government is giving money to most people who are absolutely struggling to make ends meet during these trying times. Where is the money for college students?

College students, if they are claimed as a dependent, will not be receiving a cent from the government while many are out of work all together.

According to Statista.com, In the United States there are roughly 14.5 million college students currently enrolled. Not every single student is a dependent on their parent’s tax forms. Furthermore, some college students earn enough money during the summer, or work throughout the year and earn enough money to qualify for unemployment.

Assuming this, cutting the number in half or to a third of what it is, is still a massive amount of people who are still required to pay rent, phone bills, or car insurance for example. These are the people who need the money the most, those who cannot get unemployment but still have financial obligations.

Assuming that dependents are fully supported by their parents in bills and other payments is a massive oversight by the government. This could potentially end up hurting young adults credit scores if they miss bills. These are individuals who need good credit when they are starting off their adult lives.

The government should also be providing money to college students even if they are technically dependents.