<p>I need a PhD to be able to convert my part-time job/career into a fulltime position. I have been accepted to a program, but they offered no funding (fellow/research/TA assitant) although I have almost 10 years of experience. For over a year I have researched and sought outside funding. Unfortunately there is little out there and even less funding for which I qualify. It is becoming apparently to me that agism is alive and well in higher education, especially at the graduate level. The younger students receive the school funding not we "seasoned" students. I fear that the only reason I was accepted was the assumption that a middle-aged person must have money...and the dollar signs filled their eyes. I have worked hard to get to this goal line, including completing a second MA in preparation. I made it to the finish line and now because of finances I can not cross it. Life is just not fair!</p>
<p>I wouldn’t be so quick to cry agism. Do you know the other students’ funding packages? Do you know how their applications compared to yours? Funding is often doled out based on stats; your x years of experience will certainly make you an attractive applicant, but less experienced applicants with better numbers may edge you out of funding. </p>
<p>Then again, you say you think they only accepted you because they thought you had money. Does that mean you were not a highly competitive applicant for the program? If this is the case, your “borderline” status was enough to get you into the program, but didn’t make you competitive for funding; agism had nothing to do with it.</p>
<p>If you’re in a field where only some programs offer funding to all students, only apply to the fully funded programs if you can’t afford to finance the degree. If no programs commit to funding every matriculated students, then apply to places where you know you’ll be one of the more competitive applicants to help ensure you receive funding. You’re almost certainly making the right decision to decline an unfunded PhD. If this is something you really want to do, keep improving your CV, apply next year more widely if you can, and keep applying for outside funding.</p>