Patricia Doxsey is reporting for the Daily Freeman the first round of $500 monthly checks has gone out to participants in Ulster County's Universal Basic Income pilot program. According to a press release by County Executive Pat Ryan, participants are already planning how they will use the money to better their lives. Participants have said they will use the monthly stipend to pay for things like medical expenses, to pay off their student loan debt and to put them on the path to becoming first-time homebuyers, according to the release. The yearlong pilot program will provide 100 low-income county residents with a one-year stipend of $6,000, to be paid out in 12 monthly installments of $500. The program will both help those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to study the effects of a guaranteed basic income on people's lives. Although similar programs are already underway in cities nationwide, including one in Hudson, the Ulster County program is the first countywide pilot program anywhere. The University of Pennsylvania chose 200 participants at random from the pool of more than 4,200 applicants. Of those chosen, 100 will receive the monthly stipend and 100 will be part of a control group. While those in the control group will not receive the $500 guaranteed income, they will be paid to participate in surveys and other components of the study. Read the full story in the Daily Freeman.