Is it worth it to continue studying after high school in Cuba?
“I grew up where kids stop drinking milk at the age of 7 because my country, Cuba, thinks you do not need it anymore. My mom worked extremely hard every day to give us, (my sister and I) a plate of food every night. For each birthday she would guarantee us a birthday present even if that meant selling her own clothing or shoes. I admire her and she is one of the reasons why I wanted to study at the University, I wanted to secure a better future” a Cuban student shares.
Those who choose to continue studying and sacrifice often do so because they want to make their parents proud, meet the expectations of society, or based on data such as the range of salaries for specific degrees offered by universities. This information is significant since some students value the job of their dreams based on this and they would expect a salary that will allow them to live comfortably or with the necessities covered. Usually, all universities have this information open to the public and complete but if we investigate further, we will find that the numbers and data in countries like Cuba are scarce.
On the FIU (Florida International University) page expected base salaries for a bachelor’s degree graduate in the sciences, arts, education, or other professions are published annually. These estimated salaries are organized by county and by education level. If we look for some information like the one mentioned before (The estimated salary by county and level of education) published by the universities in Cuba, it will be difficult to find exact data. You can find a statement given by the country with the salary ranges (attached below), but it looks quite incomplete since there are many unnamed professions, and it is no information on any specific university, like “La Universidad de la Habana” or “Universidad de las Ciencias Informáticas.”
Doing research and interviewing two students who have just graduated: “the average we earn is between 2,000 and 3,000 Cuban pesos per month, an equivalent to about 18–20 US dollars.” A box of milk costs 1000 Cuban pesos: “We must buy it at this price on the streets because the country when we turn 7 years old considers that we no longer need milk and do not sell it to us” one of the students commented.
The country has one of the highest poverty rates in the world: “The average salary in Cuba is around $3 a day and young people are one of the most affected” one of the students commented. They described it as no matter how much they study, work, and sacrifice, they will never have a salary that gives them enough to live comfortably. Many times, they must rely on relatives who live outside the country and who help them, or even sell their own belongings such as clothes or shoes to be able to buy basic things such as food even though they are studying and working hard for it.
Photo: CubaConecta
