Who needs help in Durham?

The information below was gathered mostly from UNH websites regarding the economics of living and working at UNH.

Forest Park is an apartment complex on campus that is mostly occupied by graduate students with families, although some staff live there as well.
A full-time student, renting a 2-bedroom, ~520 square foot, apartment for their family pays $935/month for the 2008-2009 school year.
Source: UNH Department of Housing (www.unh.edu/housing)

Babcock Hall is the graduate student dormitory. A single room costs $5,950 per academic year. The room dimension is 8’ x 13’.
Source: UNH Department of Housing (www.unh.edu/housing)

I recently spoke with a graduate student from Taiwan who moved out of Babcock this year. The rent had been raised each year and had become unaffordable for her. She was also tired of sharing a kitchenette with 13 other people. Very few graduate students living in Babcock can afford the UNH Dining meal plan. This student is now sharing an apartment in Durham and is much happier.

Graduate Stipends are giving to many graduate students who work either as teaching or research assistants. The taxable, graduate stipend for 2008-2009 ranges from $14,100 to $16,000 for the academic year. Costs not covered by the stipend include: the Health Services and Counseling fee, the Memorial Union fee, the Student Recreation fee, and the Transportation fee, health insurance, and textbooks.
Source: UNH Graduate School (www.gradschool.unh.edu)

Health Insurance is required for all UNH students. The insurance UNH offers, for the 2008-2009 plan year (12 months of coverage), is $1,490 for a student, $4,540/year for a spouse or same-sex domestic partner, and $865 per dependant child/year.
Source: UNH Health Services (www.unh.edu/health-services/shbp)

Employees of UNH are classified by the terms “exempt”, “non-exempt”, and “non-status.” Exempt staff are eligible to receive a full range of benefits (health, dental, life, disability, UNH contributing to retirement account, etc.). Non-exempt staff do not receive the full range of benefits. The only benefits for non-status employees are those that are legally required: workers' compensation, unemployment compensation, liability insurance coverage, and the social security benefits program, unless otherwise specified.

The job titles of: Farm Worker, Grounds Worker, and Mail Clerk (and others) are “non-exempt operating staff” and are classified as pay-grade 3. The FY09 midpoint wage for grade 3 is $13.70 per hour or $28,606 per year.

The use of “non-status” employees is growing (10/06 = 2,275; 10/07=2,409). UNH is currently hiring for the following non-status positions: Food Service Assistant at $12.30/hour and housekeeper at $10/hour (housekeeping shifts are 4 am to noon or 10 pm to 6 am).

In October 2007, non-status and non-exempt employees comprised 35% of the USNH workforce (4,400 non-exempt employees with limited benefits and 2,409 non-status employees with only those benefits required by law).
Source: UNH Human Resources

Compiled by Rachel Feeney, UNH staff member and C0-Lead student