spillintheT

Hello guys! I will be applying to US phd programs next year (2019) and I'm currently in the process of selecting programs for myself. I don't quite understand the scheme of funding for many of these programs though, can you possibly help me with that? I was thinking about doing the phd in California (UCLA, Stanford, Caltech, etc), but as I understood universities there don't provide the stipend for phd students and I need to search for external funding anyway? Another question about that external funding: how easy is it to get the funding for non-U.S. citizen? How common is it to get accepted to the program but not for funding opportunity? Is it common to get the funding only for the first year and then drop out because you don't have money?