Let's talk 2015 stipends/funding

[SarshTheAwesome]

I guess this is anonymous enough that we can talk about funding. Is it a good idea to weigh stipend differences when we are deciding between schools? What about the differences between fellowships, stipends, and being an "insert fancy name here" Scholar? 

[BiochemMom]

If you really want to compare, look at cost of living. I.e. A 35k stipend in San Diego (or insert any HCOL area) is not going to stretch near as much as say a 25k stipend in Nebraska or somewhere with a LCOL.

[Maxtini]

I do wonder~ since I'm international student and don't know about the living cost differences among each states.  

It may be one of the most influential factors to me in deciding which schools to go.Although it seems I won't have any options but Texas so far   
 

Edited January 30, 2015 by Maxtini

[epinephrine]

I'm also curious about this- and I'm also an international student, I'd really appreciate some help with what a good stipend is at Chicago?

[c m]

@epinephrine

 

I live in Chicago and one of my first full time jobs paid $31,000 -- and I was able to live just fine (not gloriously).  I know that Northwestern's funding packages are within that realm, I believe (at lease for the programs I am looking at).

 

Chicago it depends on where you live and your willingness to live with roommates, which will make some neighborhoods much more accessible!

Edited January 30, 2015 by c m

[SarshTheAwesome]

I think the cost of living for all of the schools I've been admitted to are relatively similar. International students, just search cost of living and the city. I like this summary from forbes of Ann Arbor Michigan. http://www.forbes.com/places/mi/ann-arbor/

[epinephrine]

Thanks c m. I'm getting almost that much. I'm sure I want roommates, not just because of cost of living. I spent the past 4 years living with roommates, I'm sure I don't want to move to a new country and live by myself!

[Whisky-with-a-Y]

I would ask whether or not the stipend is taxable. Some schools are able to work around that, while others will say "you are considered for a TA position with a taxable stipend of XX$". The schools I visited with lower stipends had the majority of that stipend as non-taxable, which makes a big difference, while the ones with larger stipends were taxable. At the end of the day, a 1-2 grand a year will not make a very large difference.

[Eigen]

All stipends are taxable. Unless the school is doing something reeaallly fishy, every graduate stipend is taxable. There's no way around it. There are a few cases of NIH/NSF/DOD fellowships that have been ruled in special cases not taxable, but those are very special cases, and require the IRS to actually issue a ruling on you as an individual case.

 

Generally, most stipends are enough to live reasonably comfortably in the city where the school is located, so I wouldn't worry so much about that. 

[St Andrews Lynx]

The other important thing to check is that your school guarantees funding for every year that you're in the PhD program. 

[16777216]

I'm not super worried about this, but it might be useful: anyone have a cost of living site they've seen to be accurate? There are a lot of contradictory options.