Now that stimulus checks have hit Americans’ bank accounts, many people are planning ahead on what they’ll do with the $1,200 in federal aid.
For Shaquona Ellis, the stimulus check means they can move out of a toxic environment.
“The check means I can move,” Ellis, who uses they/them pronouns, said. “I was originally planning to move to a house with someone and leave my apartment. My roommates now are toxic and the new housemate understands me, including using my pronouns.”
Ellis, 24, works for a nonprofit and is furloughed through the end of April and used paid vacation time to supplement this month’s income. They also have picked up hours at a local bakery to make ends meet.
“The government is doing OK right now with the checks, but honestly, if this blows into May, they need a new plan and additional resources,” they said. “Right now the work they’re doing is a little Band-Aid for the problem, and I think they don’t have anything else to support us.”
While the stimulus check is a one-time supplement, Ellis is using what they learned from watching their parents get through the last recession in 2008.
“I learned how to deal with the basics,” they said. “Like if my phone gets shut off, I can just go to a place with WiFi and I’m still good. I can survive on basic foods for meals and I know how much to use to make it last for a long time.”
Not everyone is eligible for a stimulus check. College students listed as dependents, individuals whose income was too high in 2019 and those who owe child support are among those who don’t qualify.
Lauren Smith, 20, a sophomore in Indiana State University’s nursing program, is not eligible for the stimulus check because she’s listed as a dependent. Along with the various changes she and college students around the country are facing when it comes to online learning, her job — and finances — have been temporarily changed.
“This was a situation nobody had control over,” Smith said, “but I think the government needs to do more because the numbers [of positive cases] are still rising.”
Smith had her hours cut at the campus Center for Global Engagement, and while the university reimbursed her for housing fees and is allowing her meal plan to roll over into the next academic year, Smith feels she and other college students with reduced work hours would benefit from a stimulus check.
“The majority of my money goes to paying for my college fees and whatever equipment I need for the nursing program,” Smith said.
Contact staff writer Breanna Cooper at 317-762-7848. Follow her on Twitter @BreannaNCooper.
