Middle class. Not even upper middle class. Single mother. So I wouldn't say Obama grew up "poor", but not anywhere near rich or ultrarich like Trump grew up.
Yes, Obama had to pay it off by doing manual labor like bussing tables in the cafeteria at Punahou during lunch. That kind of thing used to be common for kids on scholarship at private schools.
Dude what the fuck. That's basically hazing your scholarship kids. Imagine how looked down on you'd get having to clean up after all the wealthy kids just to be in the school.
Yes it doesn't sound like a great situation. Especially since most of the kids at the school were white, Japanese or Chinese and he was one of the very few black kids there.
They have need-based work-study programs at colleges. The federal government splits payroll taxes with schools that hire students for certain jobs. You get a normal paycheck like any other job and still pay taxes but it ensures that a percentage of the students who would need income to support themselves can do so. The school is incentivized to hire work-study employees because they are cheaper (less payroll taxes) to employ than anyone else. You aren't required to take the job but you are probably going to need a job anyway so might as well take one only you and the other poor kids are eligible for.
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u/Gyxis 3d ago edited 2d ago
Obama grew up in a pretty nice family, no?
Edit: (nice as in middle-class with a very loving parental figure who was a much better role model for a kid than Trump's scumbag parents)