I'm so sorry to hear about your troubles with financial aid! As a fellow grad student I am so enraged to hear that you have been treated so poorly ! You are paying for the privilege of doing work that will ultimately benefit the reputation (not to mention the bottom line) of the school. The work and care that you have put in to supporting and guiding your students shows just how hard you are working in order to be the best student you can be, and that benefit to the school should never be overlooked or minimized!

In order to continue to work as hard and effectively as you can, I agree that a bike, bed and a couch are not unreasonable expenditures! You need to sleep well to be refreshed and productive, and you have chosen a form of transportation that costs WAY less than anything else out there!

I sincerely hope that financial aid comes around quickly and gets this issue sorted out! It sounds like you have a wonderfully supportive department head (such an amazing resource!), and it wounds like he is really trying to get things resolved. In the meantime, know that you have a huge community of women here who are willing to support you in any way we can!

Sending you lots of hugs!!