<p>I'm relatively young, broke, and married. (Well, not relatively married, but you get the point.) I had mentally scratched some of the other higher tiered universities because of costs. I've got a friend headed to law school and his loans/grants are basically allowing him to not work, W&M more or less told me that working is impossible during grad school, but surely other people do it? Is it common practice to live off aid during the MA years? </p>
<p>One thousand humble thankees in advance,
E</p>
<p>First, the whole point of grad school is to "follow the money." Apply widely, and go where you receive offers of an assistantship or fellowship.</p>
<p>And yes, it is common practice to live on one's stipend. There are usually contractual prohibitions against working while receiving an assistantship or fellowship. (You'll be working 20 hours a week as a TA, and there's just not time enough to add another job on top of that.)</p>
<p>(Although I've known a few grad students to take part-time retail/service jobs on the QT, usually working a couple nights a week, and I've looked the other way. But they risked seeing the Dean of the Graduate School at their jobs, and at my university, that could have gotten them into a great deal of trouble.)</p>
<p>Hmm, "relatively married", that sorta does describe me...</p>
<p>Professor X's advice is dead on. I can think of a few students who have done extra work on the side - usually the "cash under the table" type - but time and other constraints make this unusual.</p>
<p>i think there's a stat somewhere that says you're more likely to get through grad school if u'r married. some grad school pay for it, some don't... but if u have kids and don't have other sources of income it's pretty tough.</p>
<p>well, why would it be a problem if ur dean find u working at McDonald's when u are a grad student? if u r doing well that should be okay. at least you are not doing something obscene.</p>
<p>I'm following a different model: not very/very!<br>
Not very young, not very bad off financially as long as I can keep working, very married, very much a parent. </p>
<p>I think it is sort of like following the money, if employer pays a lot of grad school expenses, right? So I feel very fortunate to have a job that allows me to go to grad school in the eves and a spouse that is very supportive and can cook without killing any of us.</p>
<p>And a grad program that expects that its students are already employed full-time in the sector.</p>
<p>Prof X has the right idea, as always. When law school was still on my list, one of the probs was the money. Though it has been common for a lot of our town's TV news reporters to be working while in law school, and one anchor was even in med school, so I think a lot depends on the school.</p>
<p>One UG told me his plan: while he's young and single, he is taking valet jobs at a couple of hot night spots, for the cash tips and exercise (and to satisfy his hot sports car jonesing), and night clerk desk jobs, so he can study. Seems like a sensible plan. </p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>One of the top students in the grad program I'm in is married and has two young kids. She's on an assistantship. I'm assuming her husband works, but I don't know how much money he makes.</p>
<p>D is able to live off her fellowship in a well known midwestern city with low housing costs.Shes not married but has a long term live in boyfriend who is not an academic at the present time but contemplating returning to undergrad for a 2nd degree in Engineering.They split rent/other costs 50/50.
She supplements her $$ with a small p/t position in the music library at her University (maybe 10 hrs a week).This is common in her dept.Its a well endowed private U and they give them extra stipends in the summer,and pay for them to attend conferences.Health care coverage is free.
If she had chosen a program in a major east or west coast city with high housing/living costs she would have had to take out loans.</p>