The life of a “broke college student” has evolved into a sort of aesthetic. The elusive broke college student eats instant ramen every day, loves free stuff given out at miscellaneous university events, refuses to purchase official textbooks and strictly buys groceries on sale. Experiencing the “broke college student” lifestyle is almost seen as a rite of passage in adulthood. But come on — how can we all be broke?

The short answer: At USC, we aren’t. While two-thirds of undergraduates at USC receive financial aid in some form, only about 4,400 out of 21,000 undergraduates qualify as low-income by Pell Grant eligibility according to the financial aid office. Thus, it would be hypocritical of me to pretend to have personal experience with the struggles of low-income students; I’m from Silicon Valley, and I come from an upper middle class background. I, too, download all of my textbooks for free and eat microwavable meals often, but I’m mindful of calling myself “broke” when it’s simply not true.

Regardless of your socioeconomic background, anyone should be able to see that treating financial struggle as an aesthetic is tone-deaf. I’ve noticed that the same people comfortably paying full USC tuition are often the same people who say they’re “broke” to justify Venmo requesting you $2.18 or not tipping service workers.

To a certain extent, I get it. Even in wealthy families, some parents make their children pay for all their own personal expenses, which can put pressure on students’ spending habits. But there’s a huge difference between being “broke” because you just bought the new Chanel drop and being broke because you’re struggling to pay rent on time. Saying you’re a “broke college student” seems like a harmless, funny way to label yourself, but it can undermine the real financial struggles of being a low-income student.

While higher-income students can enjoy disposable income to varying degrees, others do not have the same privilege to consider basic necessities as a given. Alice Anne Bailey, a researcher and adviser with American University’s Center for Postsecondary Readiness and Success, told The Washington Post that “the number one reason that low-income students drop out is financial. And often it’s a little thing, that a middle- or higher-income family wouldn’t even think twice about.”

University expenses like housing deposits or school supplies can add up quickly, as well as toiletries and room essentials. With prices for dorm essentials rising 40% in the last four years, families this year spent $1,367 on average for back-to-college expenses, according to the National Retail Federation. To relieve some of the burden, some students at USC depend on departments like Student Basic Needs, which provides support for food, housing and financial insecurity. Along with running the Trojan Food Pantry and providing resources and support for housing insecurity, Student Basic Needs also helps students experiencing sudden financial distress with Supplemental Funding Awards, which currently enrolled students can apply for via USC Scholarship Universe.

A study by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce also found that low-income working students are more likely to work full-time compared to higher-income working students because they are “less likely to have access to strong financial safety nets.” This is one of the most significant differences between real low-income students and the so-called “broke college student.”

These income inequalities can even lead to health disparities. According to a report from the American Psychological Association, lower-income populations experience more severe stress and are more likely to have experienced more traumatic events in their childhood, which can lead to mental and physical health problems. Elizabeth Brondolo, a chairperson of an APA working group that authored the report, wrote, “Disparities in both stress and health may not be visible to those who have more advantages or who have relatively limited direct contact with those affected.”

Wealthy students who co-opt the “broke college student” lifestyle are out of touch with the actual effects — from economic to medical — of financial insecurity. Don’t let the tweets, TikToks and even overheard conversations fool you; there’s nothing lighthearted or funny about being a broke college student. Socioeconomic struggle isn’t some quirky phase of life, and treating it like one is not just ignorant but also dehumanizing for the 22% of USC undergraduates who actually qualify as low-income.