It is a noble idea to provide adequate health insurance coverage to all the graduate assistants, as proposed in the recommendations made to the University administration. However, one should also look at the feasibility and affordability of such a proposal before a decision is made.

If the recommendation to make the health insurance mandatory, without providing for it, is accepted by the administration, the worst affected group is going to be that of married international graduate assistants supporting a family.

I happen to be one such graduate assistant and would like to take this opportunity to make others aware of the impact of such a decision on a small group of graduate assistants.

The first thing to note is the fact that the stipend provided by the University is the only source of income for most of such international graduate assistants.

A typical gross stipend of $850 per month results in a net income of about $750 per month after taxes. I would like to list the minimum monthly expenses incurred by such an assistant who supports a family of a spouse and one child. The list goes as follows (see graph):

A quick look at the (graph) will display the financial constraints which have to be endured by such graduate students. The question is how the graduate assistant is going to pay the insurance premium. The listed minimum expenses assume the following:

-- The graduate assistant is lucky to obtain the University housing. This is not true in most cases, considering the long waiting period of at least one and a half years for a two bedroom apartment.

-- The graduate assistant does not go out of State College in his entire stay in the United States as a student. The graduate assistant remains continuously away from his/her family members for a period of five years (the normal duration for a doctorate degree.)

-- The graduate student or his/her family members do not fall ill.

My purpose here is not to draw any sympathy for this group of graduate assistants. My aim is to make the University administration and the concerned people aware of the facts so that they can reach a sensible decision.

The implications of a mandated health insurance, without considering the ability to pay, will most likely be either the separation of families or the termination of graduate studies by the affected graduate assistants.

I hope that the concerned officials give a serious thought to other plausible possibilities also, which include making the University health center available to the families of the international graduate assistants and/or providing for the insurance premiums.