<p>Basically, what’s the money situation? I’m applying for PhD programs in Anthropology. I searched the internet and found that the science departments pay more than others, so I’m not expecting a big sum. So for the social sciences/humanities folks: what are your stipends? Also…</p>
<li>Are your stipends enough to save for anything? (extra info: I’m going to have to help my family while in graduate school) Or is it just enough to feed yourself bland cereal in the morning? </li>
<li>Housing: I know there are different types–but I’m looking into the dorm style, the cheaper the better. How does it work, is it part of your tuition or a separate lease. If it is part of your tuition bill, is it covered by the school? If not, do you take education loans to cover it? </li>
<li>Outside funding: so the school covers the tuition but you can have outside funding (NSF, for ex) ? Do most people have them…or are they really tough to get? </li>
</ol>
<p>A stipend in Anthropology is not going to provide enough to save, or to send home. In fact, you may have to take some small student loans to supplement it just in order to live, especially if you have a car note and need car insurance.</p>
<p>Some universities offer on-campus graduate student housing, and others do not. (I know of no universities that cover housing as part of a TAship or fellowship, but there may be some I have not heard of.) Be careful – some on-campus grad student housing can actually be more expensive than living on your own off campus, especially if you can rent a house and share with roommates.</p>
<p>Outside funding is definitely competitive, and this funding will NOT be added to your regular stipend – it will replace it.</p>
<p>I’ll be starting my PhD in Anthropology this Fall at a university in an area with reasonable costs of living (i.e. not CA, NY, etc.). My stipend is $20k paid over 9 months.</p>
<p>…and to Professor X: you’ve answered my questions under various SN’s over the years and you have really helped. I remember you writing “follow the money” multiple times and I took it to heart. Now I have zero debt and will be receiving a decent stipend. Thanks!</p>
<p>i’m starting a history program and will be getting 18K over 12 months, guaranteed for 5 years. the department also offers several summer fellowships in the way of 2K or 3K, and most of their students win one, if not two or three, of these fellowships a year. that’s not guaranteed money, however, so i don’t budget for it.</p>
<p>i’ll be living in pittsburgh, which is mercifully cheap. less than half of my monthly income will go to rent, but this isn’t the norm. most of the schools i had applied to have a much higher cost of living than pittsburgh does and their stipends were only two thousand dollars more, if that.</p>
<p>the one exception to this was the university of miami. they offered me a highly-competitive university-wide fellowship for 30K/year for 5 years instead of the usual 20K packages. i’m sure there will be days where i am digging through snow and eating ramen noodle wishing i had gone to miami instead, but pitt’s program has a much better placement rate.</p>
<p>with any luck, i won’t have to take out loans to supplement my income.</p>
<p>“Follow the money” merely means don’t enroll in a PhD program if you are unfunded.</p>
<p>When choosing between programs that have all offered funding, a fellowship often beats a TAship, unless the program offering the TAship is a better fit for you.</p>
<p>Comparing stipends in terms of pure numbers is not usually helpful at all, since numbers often reflect cost of living in the area, not the value the program places upon you. However, a stipend that is waaaay out of line with the rest should give one pause.</p>
<p>RE Prof X and housing: I’ve been looking at places like Columbia, for ex, and they have “dorm” styles so I immediately thought it might be like what you get in undergrad–it’ll show up on your tuition bill and your financial aid can cover it if there’s enough money. So say the school says my stipend over 9 months is 14k. Minus taxes, that’s my complete 14 k…there won’t be any tuition expenses taken out of it, right? Also, can I still take loans or state grants and use them toward my rent? definitely, FOLLOW THE MONEY…but I’m afraid I’ll end up with peanuts. :(</p>
<p>In my (albeit limited) experience, the university takes on-campus housing costs out of your stipend. That way, it’s equally fair for students living on- and off-campus since both have to pay for housing.</p>
<p>My D is getting a modest stipend as a research assistant in economics. She may be a TA after her first semester. Her program will not last very long (should finish within two years) as she wants just a master’s and is not inclined to do a Ph.D., although she has been encouraged to consider that.</p>
<p>In any event, her stipend will not cover her living expenses. (Her tuition is waived.) She will use her savings and some modest student loans to make up the difference between her stipend and her living expenses. She will be renting a nice 2-bedroom apartment with one roommate. </p>
<p>Her school does have grad student housing, but not enough for all grad students who may want it. My understanding is that the costs are fairly comparable although off-campus offers a wider range of costs and more options, especially for those with cars. One advantage of taking university grad student housing is that you do have the costs deducted right from your stipend and you don’t have to pay a security deposit upfront. Plus I think some basic furniture is included in the university-provided housing.</p>
<p>Her contract also provides that the university will take care of her health insurance, although she has a 20% contribution.</p>
<p>Those in the sciences generally get more generous stipends, in part, I understand, because of NSF funding.</p>
<p>Breathfire, when my brother was at Columbia, he did have grad student housing (a miniature furnished apartment that he shared with two other students), and the rental fees were taken out of his stipend.</p>
<p>If you have a teaching assistantship or research assistantship, you will also be awarded tuition remission. That means your tuition is waived, so there is no tuition bill. Your living stipend is just that – money on which to live. You may also take out loans for education-related expenses. (Just don’t take out too much!)</p>
<p>Um…Am i the only person having to pay for my tuition? I’m in a PhD program in Bio at Rutgers, and b/c of state budget cuts, the dept. decided not to award any TAships to incoming grad students. Now I’m stuck with federal stafford loans for my first year or so.</p>
<p>Univ_Student: that sucks. but there are other students too, unfortunately, who have to pay for PhD programs because they are offered peanuts as fin aid. </p>
<p>Good to know that it’s taken out of the stipend. Altho then you don’t have to worry about paying up front and furnishing. </p>
<p>Prof X: if you remember, what remained of his stipend once the rental fees were paid? Also, if I get outside funding for a year, will I just go back to my usual stipend the next year–is that guaranteed?</p>
<p>If a bio PhD program is making you pay tuition, you need to run far away and fast. Bio PhD programs should have funding through NIH or the like and not through the state. If they do not it is because they have had problems with their training, so they lost their training grant. If there is funding problems with the earlier phase, you will probably run into large problems later on.</p>
<p>No one should be paying for any phase of their bio PhD training. I suggest that you tell the school you are not going, find a tech position, and reapply to grad school this fall. I am sure you will find a school that will pay your tuition next time around. Yes you have to take a year off, but in the long term you are probably better off. You definitely should not be taking out loans for something like this!</p>
<p>LOL, well the program is structured so that in your first semester, you only take classes and attend lab meetings, and no lab work. The first required lab rotation begins second semester, and the second rotation starts 2nd year. At the end of the 2nd year, I should have decided on which lab I should join (obviously, if one of the professors doesn’t have funding I won’t join the lab). What I was told is that if I get good enough grades, it will make me competitive for TAships in the meantime. I think that’s a load of bull, but I have personal circumstances preventing me from dropping out. Also, lab tech positions in my area (NYC) require some kind of certification or training or other experience, which I don’t have. I only did research in a plant genetics lab for a couple of years as an undergrad, and that lab is pretty full.</p>
<p>I would talk to PIs. You should be able to find a lab tech position in NYC. Some PIs are happy to take future PhD candidates for tech positions (and know you will only stay a year). PIs higher two types of techs: 1. the type that will stick around for decades 2. the type that will be there for a year or two and can help work on short term projects. All of the applications make it seem that they will only take experienced people, but some really do want to train future scientists so they will take a risk with you. In particular, you may want to try to find someone just starting to build a lab. If you cant find one in NYC and you can move, check out the NIH post-bac program. I took time off before I started grad school, and I think that it was one of the best decisions I made.</p>
<p>No one really works in the lab much during the 1st year with classes. You are not paid because you are in the lab. You are paid because you are training to be a scientist. I still recommend that you stay away from any program that requires you to pay for 1-2yrs. You will regret your decision to go to this program, since no one else will be paying for a bio PhD.</p>
<p>You happened to be unlucky with the funding situation this year at Rutgers. If you reapply this year as a tech, you should have lots of offers and most of them will pay your tuition and give you a stipend.</p>
<p>Good luck</p>
<p>P.S. You may even try to threaten to not come due to their finances and they may find you a way to get a TA position or something like that.</p>
but there are other students too, unfortunately, who have to pay for PhD programs because they are offered peanuts as fin aid. </p>