UROP minimum wage to increase
UROP minimum wage to increase
The minimum hourly wage for MIT’s Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program is slated to increase to $11.50 over the next two years, according to an email from Julie B. Norman, Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education.
The hourly pay will increase twice to reach the Institute’s goal. The first increase will be on June 1, 2016, and will bring the minimum wage up to $11. The second increase will occur one year later.
The change is in line with the Undergraduate Association’s agenda. UA President Matthew J. Davis ’16 stated at a Council meeting last month that the UA will push for increasing student wages and advocate for increased summer UROP pay, according to a UA email. The aim is to reduce stress and financial burdens for students, some of whom “spend inordinate amounts of time outside of the classroom to afford their education.”
The current minimum wage for UROP students is $10.00 per hour, and has increased by only $1.25 since 2001.
—Ray Wang