As a student janitor in the dorms, I find it disgraceful that the University pays me $11.25 an hour when Minneapolis minimum wage is $14.25 for large businesses. A large business is defined as having more than 100 employees and the University of Minnesota employs over 27,000 people across its five campuses. Many students are required to work on campus in order to comply with their work-study requirements. The average student worker at the University of Minnesota makes $11.58 according to the University Office of Human Resources. On top of these extremely low wages, students workers are only allowed to work a max of 20 hours a week. This mostly affects international students who have visas that do not allow them to hold jobs that are not on campus. 

As tuition and rent rates continue to rise, it is imperative that University wages rise in accordance with Minneapolis minimum wage. Students that face financial hardships are less likely to complete their collegiate careers. On top of tuition and living expenses, 17.5% of UMN students said they are worried about running out of food before they can buy more and 10% of students say that they face food insecurity according to the University's Nutritious U Pantry. The $15 minimum wage was enacted by the city in order to accommodate the rising high cost of living in Minneapolis. On top of this Minneapolis student employees are responsible for paying for the $16,061 tuition (international students and out-of-state pay more). As this tuition rate continues to inflate every year, it is shameful that the University of Minnesota is not complying with city standards and offering a wage that will support its community members.