<p>It's a surprise to many that grad school is "free" for most PhD programs. </p>
<p>At the more selective schools they provide full funding without asking any work in return for one or more years. At others you earn your keep by being a TA or RA. As time goes by you either come under the umbrella of a grant your advisor has, or get your own grant. Again, it varies by school whether the grant requires work or is just a straight gift. You really need to research what they offer at the schools you are interested in. I know grad students in the sciences/engineering at an elite college, for example, who get a stipend from a grant they got and then work full-time during the summer at the sponsor and get a full-time salary.</p>
<p>Bottom line, though, is most students actually are paid to get their PhD; not a great sum of money by working-adult standards, but enough if you've just come out of the undergrad phase of life.</p>