Syracuse University should not grant child care stipends to graduate students if the money comes out of the fringe benefit fund university employees contribute to.

The university recently announced that starting next semester, graduate students can apply to receive child care grants. Graduate students can receive $375 per semester per child, with a two child maximum. The money for the grants is coming out of a fringe benefit pool university employees — not students — pay into.

Taking money from a fund intended for university employee fringe benefits is not fair to the employees who contribute to the fund. The $375 child care stipend that is granted to graduate students, who apply for it, should instead be used for SU employees that need more aid for child care.

The decision to allow graduate students to apply for a child care stipend has good intentions, but it could be improved if the funds came from the Graduate Student Organization, rather than from the employee fringe-benefit fund.

According to the GSO’s website, the organization offers start-up funds for GSO recognized groups as well as travel grants for graduate students looking to attend academic or professional conferences. Those grants are funded through student fees paid by graduate students each semester. Just as it would not be fair for graduate student fees to pay for undergraduate programs, it is not fair for employee fringe benefit funds to pay for child care grants for graduate students.

If graduate students feel this is a necessary service, they should encourage the GSO to reallocate some of its budget to provide for those who need child care grants. According to the GSO’s 2013–14 budget, 5 percent of the GSO’s budget already goes toward SU’s day care program. The organization should see if it can allow for child care stipends within its budget as well.

The university should not offer child care grants to graduate students until the budget is realigned, instead of taking money from SU employees’ fringe benefit fund.