<p>Year 1: Academic year (9 month) support package: $21,000</p>
<pre><code>* Academic year base stipend $19,000 (this includes one TA appointment).
* Research expense account $2,000.
* Full fees and health insurance.
* Full tuition for non-residents.
</code></pre>
<p>Does this mean that on top of full fees and health insurance, they're still going to pay the grad students $21000??? I mean seriously, how can they afford this?? Is this really available to all students who get in the grad program? </p>
<p>I was talking to an undergrad student at UCSD, and he was in utter disbelief when I told him that they pay you to go to grad school. He said there must be a lot of requirements for these stipends and not everyone gets them. </p>
<p>Almost every Ph.D. program gives their students at least remission; most give their students a stipend, too.</p>
<p>Programs can afford to do this because departments get training grants from the gov for support. Generally, the more health-oriented majors (biomed, chem, etc.) get the most money from the NIH, NSF, etc., and therefore, those students get the largest stipends (typically 25-35k/year) on top of full tuition remission.</p>
<p>You’re not only expected to be researching/studying full-time (no decent doctorate program will let you enroll part-time), you’re also expected to be a half-time (20 hours/week) TA/RA, so you’re actually “earning” that stipend.</p>
<p>Also, your research/assistanceships potentially earns the school money anyway. Your publications get the school more federal grants, and indirectly raise its reputation, which means more students applying => more money.</p>
<p>and usually only PhD students get the hefty packages (i’m getting $30,500 next year); when I was an MS student I had to teach a full load each quarter in order to secure the stipend.</p>