We trust that you know your situation best.
Lower rate allows you to receive the support you need and higher rate allows us to do the same.
Sliding scale is NOT about what one feels a service should cost or would prefer to pay, but rather what you can realistically afford to access.
Pay more on the scale if you:
- own the home that you live in or can afford market-rate rent
- can afford to travel recreationally
- have investments, savings, generational or inherited wealth
- can afford to treat yourself to the occasional new outfit or restaurant dinner
- affording services would be a tradeoff with a luxury expense like travel, restaurants, or novelty purchases
- have access to family money and resources in times of need
- are temporarily scarce, but have a relatively high degree of earning power due to education, gender, race, class, etc., even if you are not currently using it
- you have the choice to work part-time, or the choice not to work, due to the income of a partner or family support, or a trust fund or allowance, this includes students who are supported by family financially
Pay less on the scale if you:
- are food or housing insecure (spending more than half your income on housing)
- are unemployed or on ODSP
- make minimum wage and have difficulty earning higher income due to education, class, disability, racial and gender disparities
- impacted by intersecting oppressive institutions (racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, xenophobia, classism, etc.)
- affording services would disrupt your ability to pay rent, buy groceries, or afford transportation
- are chronically scarce and have more difficulty finding employment or earning higher income due to education, gender, race, class, etc.
- are unemployed or earning a low income and do not have the safety net of generational wealth, the support of family or partner, or savings
* adapted from Courtney Rice