<p>For those of you who have RA/TA positions, are you being paid enough to live on and more?</p>
<p>Yes. The stipend offers I received 2 years ago for ChemE PhD were in the 25k to 32k range, generally adjusting for cost of living (housing in Palo Alto is way more expensive than in Urbana, IL). I have many friends doing engineering PhD programs at a variety of programs, and they seem to be doing just fine as well. It’s enough to have a car as well, though you won’t have a lot left over. You have to live frugally of course, but it’s not like living in poverty.</p>
<p>It’s enough to live on but not much more. That goes for most RA/TA positions. Getting s fellowship can be much more lucrative.</p>