What does this email reply mean?

[AnxiousNerd]

Okay, so I was accepted to a PhD program, but the letter said nothing with regards to funding. So, I emailed the graduate school director and asked if there was somewhere I am supposed to check for funding information, or if there's a certain date I should be waiting for. I applied for fellowships and assistantships. This was his reply (ignore the crossed out part, that was a different question):

 

Dear (AnxiousNerd),

 

Thanks for your message. Our Graduate School already addressed the issue of signing in your account. We already got your application form for a TA/RA-ship. We have a very limited number of TA-ship. The number also depends how many students who are holding a TA-ship will graduate. There is no futher website/link about the information of TA/RA-ship.  

 

Best regards,

(ConfusingProfessor)

 

Does this mean I will hear later or does this mean no?

[Waiting&Hoping2018]

How I would read it is that while they have some TA jobs, the exact number of available spots is dependent on how many student who currently are TAs graduate.  I don't think it's necessarily a no, I think it's more they need to see how many vacancies they are working with and they will get back to you about it.  

Edited January 26, 2018 by Waiting&Hoping2018

[Emily Roberts]

Since the number of available TA positions depends on how many current students clear out, I wouldn't expect to hear about that until well after you have to make a decision about where to go. And he didn't even address the RA question, which isn't a great sign. If I were you, I would assume that I wasn't going to receive funding from this university. See what other offers come in and then maybe circle back to it if you think that risk is worth taking.

Is it typical in your field for people to go into PhD programs without funding? I wouldn't have guessed so but I'm not very familiar. What is the typical trajectory in terms of securing an advisor with this program? Does that happen prior to matriculation or at a certain point in the first or second year?

[AnxiousNerd]

No, you pretty much are advised to never accept any offers without funding. You also usually don't get an advisor until a year or two in.

Blah, I'm just hoping I hear positive things from other institutions that come with funding so I can just write this university off. But if it gets closer and I get desperate, I guess I can nudge again?

Thanks,  yall!

[TakeruK]

8 hours ago, AnxiousNerd said:

No, you pretty much are advised to never accept any offers without funding. You also usually don't get an advisor until a year or two in.

Blah, I'm just hoping I hear positive things from other institutions that come with funding so I can just write this university off. But if it gets closer and I get desperate, I guess I can nudge again?

Thanks,  yall!

Definitely do not accept this offer until there is a funding offer in writing. Although this might still happen before the decision deadline. It's still January so I guess if they are very limited in funds for TA/RA, then they wouldn't necessarily know for next year yet. However, the fact that they are so strapped for funds and would even make admission offers before they know they have funding to support their students is worrisome for a field that fully funds its students.

I wouldn't worry about it for now. If you get better offers from other schools, you can just write it off as you said. It's certainly okay to nudge them again when you are close to the decision deadline or if you have a better offer elsewhere but still really want to go to this school.