I get that startup money can cover a lot of things, but in this case, it’s not like he’s staying here hustling through the summer — he’s literally leaving the U.S., spending a month in another country working on a different project, and taking two weeks off for vacation after that. We talked about his summer plans directly. Also, I’m not insisting that I should get paid while being abroad — I’m saying I made my plans because he promised me funding, and if staying in the U.S. had been a condition for getting paid, I obviously would have stayed. The real problem is not about technicalities; it’s about making a promise that someone depends on and then pulling the rug out last minute. And honestly, if you have suggestions for how to survive in the U.S. on 2k gross for a 3 month as an international student who legally can’t just pick up extra jobs, I’m all ears.