The COVID-19 pandemic has affected students, their families, loved ones, the greater Austin community, and the entire world. Students have lost jobs, health, financial support, have unanticipated childcare needs, and will be looking for full time positions in an economy that is being predicted to be much more dire than that of the 2008/2009 recession. The best way The University of Texas at Austin can support students during this time is to help alleviate the financial burden of the degree for which they have worked so hard during the last year(s).

We, the students at the University of Texas at Austin Steve Hicks School of Social Work, request that the University of Texas at Austin and/or the Steve Hicks School of Social Work:

1. Waive or Refund 3 credits for graduate students. These 3 waived or refunded credits will allow extended field students to not have to bear the burden of paying for their field placement hours over the summer, especially since they are not receiving the field education for which they are paying. Block students who have paid all 9 credit hours of their field experience will be able to use the 3 credit waiver to cover an online summer class, as they have also not received the field education for which they paid. Additionally, for those who have already paid the 3 credit hours but do not have any summer classes to complete, we are requesting a reimbursement of the funds paid by students for those 3 credits that they did not have the opportunity to complete because of the reduction in field hours. Equity is an important value that we have been taught by you.

2. Summer class tuition reduced to 50% of fall tuition for ALL graduate students. The administration has committed to reducing tuition to 50% for undergraduate students; the same should be available for all graduate students. Graduate students contribute to making the University of Texas at Austin the tier-one research institution that it is, and giving all students equal resources is the fairest option. Along with this, graduate students are being required to pay for a credit for clinical experience that, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are not able to receive. Summer classes will be electives, many of which are available to both undergraduate and graduate students. Meaning that graduate students will be paying a higher tuition than their undergraduate peers for the same exact curriculum. Again, equity is an important value that we have been taught by you.

What starts here changes the world; that can only happen if we are able to finish our degrees and pursue our dreams of helping others. Please consider supporting your students. We need your support now more than ever.