How Do You Get Paid for Your Acting?

All the actors in season one of girl in space are my mother in law and my brother in law's roommates, like that. And i did send out casting calls and set up a contract that said, ok, this is how you are going to get paid. I am a huge advocate of paying your actors. But also, i realize if you're a college student who's starting an audio drama and you can't even afford, you know, to buy food. How long will this remain a possibility for a people to create india shows with a very shoe string budget? That's just discussion that's happening right now. Is there a way that we could use a bit of both