United Campus Workers Louisiana is demanding that LSU fulfill its promise of paying its graduate students $23,000 per academic year.

The demand comes after LSU received $8 million in the state budget and promised to raise the pay of all doctoral-seeking graduate assistants, but many qualified students did not receive the pay increase.

Graduate students currently make between $11,000 and $23,000 per academic year, according to UCWLA. The federal poverty line is $14,580. 

United Campus Workers Louisiana has previously made attempts to get LSU’s attention for issues that graduate students face on the university’s campus.

In May, graduate worker and United Campus Workers member Alicia Cerquone wore a sign in the Quad that read in bright red letters: “Uninsured grad student, ask me anything!” She asked people to sign a petition demanding health insurance for grad students.
UCWLA has started a new petition to ask LSU to raise its wages for graduate students.

“Paying graduate students $23,000 per year – the bare minimum that is still $10,000 less than a living wage in Baton Rouge – is the least LSU could do,” United Campus Workers Louisiana said in a press release. “We call on LSU to act on promises made.”