Funding/Financial Aid for PhD Programs

[vnatch]

I am applying to a number of Molecular/Cell Bio PhD programs this fall, and I'm finding it pretty confusing to try to sift through all of the differing information given about financial aid and funding. I was hoping someone could explain it clearly for me. I'm obviously concerned about the costs associated with the PhD, so my first question is: is the annual stipend given by most schools enough to live on? Pretty much every school I'm applying to would come with tuition fully paid, plus health insurance and a stipend of between $30,000 and $40,000 a year. For an idea of my cost of living, I would be going to school either in Boston or San Francisco and I will have a roommate. I would think that these schools factor in the cost of living and give an amount that is enough to live on, but after taxes is it likely that this stipend will really be enough to cover all my expenses?

I also had some questions about fellowships, assistantships, grants, etc. Many schools say on their websites that there are a good number of these available for people to apply to. Are these for the purpose of personal and living costs, or are they meant as money to fund my research? Additionally, when I become part of a lab at my university, why would I need to apply for funding money if the lab itself gets funded by various sources?

[Warelin]

The monthly cost of living in Boston runs around $1,600 for the average renter.

And $2,200/month for renters who live alone.

$1,600 is enough for the average renter to get food, shelter, heat and internet — the four necessities for living in Boston. OK, maybe you don't need internet access, but you're probably going to get it.

Heads up though. The "average" renter has a roommate in Boston, which really helps with housing costs. If you're hoping to live alone in the Boston area (i.e. renting a studio or 1-bedroom apartment), your monthly rent will be more in the $1500-1900 range, which will make your total monthly cost of living closer to $2,000-2,400/month.

 

Source: Jumpshell Neighborhood guide

 

Taking these numbers into account (with a roommate) Boston will cost 1600*12= 19,200. However, the above numbers don't take into account Public Transportation.The cost for a monthly pass is $75. $75*12=$900.

 

Other things to consider:
Going out to eat
Car registration fees
Entertainment
More "prestigious" neighborhoods
Below "average" neighborhoods"
Any past credit card debt payments
Laundry* (Not all apartments have w/d in unit)
Pet fees
Security deposit fees
 

[kimmibeans]

I agree with Plan B. Most schools will help you find affordable housing options (I know that quite a few in New York City subsidize rent) and you can always take up a TA or tutoring position for extra cash. Fit is the most important thing when looking at a PhD program. Apply to programs which seem like a good fit for you and your research interests. When you are accepted, that is when you can get more information about cost of living. These are also excellent questions to ask other students during your interviews.

[kimmibeans]

8 hours ago, vnatch said:

I also had some questions about fellowships, assistantships, grants, etc. Many schools say on their websites that there are a good number of these available for people to apply to. Are these for the purpose of personal and living costs, or are they meant as money to fund my research? Additionally, when I become part of a lab at my university, why would I need to apply for funding money if the lab itself gets funded by various sources?

So, fellowships and grants normally go toward your research. However, sometimes they can go toward a stipend increase or new supplies such as a computer it depends on the limitations of the fellowship/grant. Even if you don't, applying for and receiving grants looks great for your lab and for you. In terms of your lab, it increases funding coming into the lab and thus helps provide for your research and other research in the lab, as your lab is funded by the grants it receives. Additionally, the more grants and fellowships you receive the more competitive you become for jobs when you graduate. 

Assistantships are different. Assistantships are essentially extra jobs you can take on for money and experience, such as teaching.

[UCI Grad Dean]

Most top doctoral programs want to attract the best students, and provide stipend support throughout their course of study. This may be in the form of fellowship, in which you have no work obligations, or graduate research or teaching assistantships which have work responsibilities. However, many times the research assistantship is paid from a faculty advisor's grant to support a student's dissertation work.

To answer your first question, Molecular/Cell Bio PhD programs usually pay of stipend of >$30,000 per year plus tuition and fees. Check out the housing opportunities on each campus website. San Francisco is quite expensive to live in, but UCSF is introducing special programs to try to reduce the cost of housing.

To answer your second question, getting your own funding looks great on your CV or resume and gives you some more freedom than if someone else is paying the bill.

Here's what my campus website says about graduate funding and housing:

http://www.grad.uci.edu/funding/index.html

http://www.grad.uci.edu/admissions/housing/index.html