How much to expect for stipend?

[rcbx0210]

I know it can probably vary quite a bit, but can anyone tell me what a sociology graduate student could expect to get for a stipend if they get funding? Or, if you don't mind, what do you get for a stipend? Do you have enough so that you could potentially work towards paying off your undergraduate loans while in school (whether or not you actually do)?

 

Basically, graduate school is a long way off for me, but I'm probably going to graduate with my bachelor's degree with a lot of debt. I'd like to make some progress on my debt while I'm working on my master's/doctorate's degree. Would it be possible to have an extra couple of hundred dollars a month if I live very frugally? (Roommates, eating at home, living without a car, etc...)

 

Also, sorry if this is in the wrong forum. I was just hoping to get responses from sociology students since I figure that different areas of study might get different amounts of funding.

Edited March 2, 2015 by rcbx0210

[Alext182]

I was accepted into about 7 programs ranked somewhere between 2 - 50. Stipends varied from about 15k - 28k. Some of the variance had to to with cost of living (e.g. Bloomington was on the low end whereas UPenn was on the high end). Medical insurance was included. 

 

Some programs explain their stipend on their website. So I'd try looking into a few programs you might apply to if you want more specific information. 

 

If you live frugally (mainly having room mates) I think it is doable.

[juiceboxrampage]

For both of the schools I got accepted to, I won a fellowship worth $24,000 a year. The TA salaries range from $17,000 to $24,000.

 

I'd definitely check out the websites of the schools you'd be interested in going to. Some have a flat rate fellowship that everyone gets, some have different fellowships with different amounts of funding based on how competitive you are, some have fellowship matching (meaning if you win an external fellowship, they will match that level of funding for you for a certain number of years), some have unionized student workers (which generally means better salaries and benefits, and you have bargaining power if the school is screwing over TAs), and some have almost no funding. It really just depends.

 

I think paying off student loans is totally possible if you're living frugally. There are some folks who have families, who have cars, who want to live in a one bedroom apartment right next to campus, etc. etc. that would probably have some difficulty saving money on $17,000 to $24,000 a year. How I live now, though, ALL of my expenses (rent, food, gas, bills, everything) come to around $500 a month. The cities I'm going to be moving to are going to be a bit more expensive, but I can't imagine spending more than $600 or $700 a month. Obviously this isn't possible for everyone, but it sounds like you're willing to make it work. Get as many roommates as possible (maybe live in a co-op), budget your food expenses wisely (maybe start a bulk food ordering share with some other folks), get a bike or a bus pass, research cheaper companies for your bills (I use Ting for my phone service and pay around $17 a month), and get yourself used to not having as many luxury purchases.