UNC biostats PhD funding?

[leprechaun]

So I received a PhD offer from UNC Biostats last week, yet the offer letter did not mention funding details and says 'funding will be determined separately'. I looked through several threads about UNC biostats from last year, and found some applicant admitted to UNC biostats PhD program seems to be unfunded (at least until last March, the date that thread was posted). I am an international student and I feel it might be more difficult for me get funded, so I am a bit worried, and wanted to ask if anyone knows about the funding opportunity at UNC.

Thanks a lot!

[GoPackGo89]

I think that so few past applicants return to these forums and your questions would be happily answered by the department. I know there is a visit day in February but information about that hasn't been released (at least not to me)

[bayessays]

As of 5 years ago, they didn't guarantee funding to all students and didn't guarantee it for all 4-5 years. I had heard recently they fixed this issue, but apparently not?

[GoPackGo89]

19 minutes ago, bayessays said:

As of 5 years ago, they didn't guarantee funding to all students and didn't guarantee it for all 4-5 years. I had heard recently they fixed this issue, but apparently not?

Where did you hear they fixed it? I do know the funding stuff comes a little bit after the acceptance letter but not sure when.

[bayessays]

From a student who was admitted and visited a few years ago. Maybe they have fixed the funding issues and you will just know later. 

[GoPackGo89]

1 hour ago, bayessays said:

From a student who was admitted and visited a few years ago. Maybe they have fixed the funding issues and you will just know later. 

I see they have some training grant spots but also saw in their manual onlu having 5 out of state tuition waivers. I imagine many would have to turn them down without full funding

[leprechaun]

@statbiostat2017

Thanks a lot for the reply. Congratulations on getting into UNC! Can I know where you learned about the visit day? I don't remember the offer letter mentioned this. 

I also hear that they offer more RA-ship than TA-ship.

[GoPackGo89]

4 minutes ago, leprechaun said:

@statbiostat2017

Thanks a lot for the reply. Congratulations on getting into UNC! Can I know where you learned about the visit day? I don't remember the offer letter mentioned this. 

I also hear that they offer more RA-ship than TA-ship.

Thank you. You are correct there wasn't a mention of the visit for this year but I found this
http://sph.unc.edu/bios/unc-biostatistics-doctoral-program-visit-days/

and assume this year would be roughly the same

[boilers23]

I was accepted to UNC the end of December and still haven't heard funding notifications for next year. I have heard about visits, so if you haven't I'd make sure to reach out to the department

[bookworm45]

The department generally finds funding for every PhD student either in the form of an RAship or an NIH training grant.

[leprechaun]

20 hours ago, statbiostat2017 said:

Thank you. You are correct there wasn't a mention of the visit for this year but I found this
http://sph.unc.edu/bios/unc-biostatistics-doctoral-program-visit-days/

and assume this year would be roughly the same

Thanks a lot. I just got an email from UNC about the visit day. It seems more details on funding would be given on the visit day.

[leprechaun]

2 hours ago, bookworm45 said:

The department generally finds funding for every PhD student either in the form of an RAship or an NIH training grant.

Thank you! Are you a student there?

[leprechaun]

 

3 hours ago, EmilyDamone said:

I was accepted to UNC the end of December and still haven't heard funding notifications for next year. I have heard about visits, so if you haven't I'd make sure to reach out to the department

I think they sent out visit day invitation this morning. Probably will go

[StatsG0d]

Knowing several students at UNC's program, I don't think funding is really an issue. As far as the tuition waiver for out of state students goes, I don't think that is true. Who would go to UNC if they had to pay tuition?

If you're concerned, I'd suggest emailing a current student and asking them.

[bayessays]

The tuition waiver thing is true, but if I remember correctly you just had to change your residency through some forms after your first year - no big deal. You're also right that they haven't historically had trouble funding their PhD students. But they're also the only big program that doesn't guarantee the funding explicitly, and I know many people who have chosen not to attend because of this. 

Edited January 31, 2018 by bayessays

[gc2012]

I'm a current student, let me clarify. I have guaranteed funding. I expect most other PhD students in the program have guaranteed funding. Even some of the Master's students have funding. I obviously don't know about every student's funding status, so there may a small number of PhD students who do not have it. However, UNC biostatistics absolutely does guarantee funding explicitly. They will send you a letter specifying your exact stipend and the number of years they will guarantee it. As I recall, the funding letter came shortly before the visit day. If you don't get a letter specifying your funding, you don't have guaranteed funding. 

As to the tuition waiver, it's not something to worry about. Your first year funding covers out of state tuition. After the first year, you will have lived in North Carolina long enough to establish residency and therefore will be eligible for in state tuition. Getting in state residency requires submitting a few forms to the state. You be reminded many times by the department to do this.  

[bayessays]

Good to hear, this matches up with what I said first, that they changed their policy in the last four years to start guaranteeing funding. Historically this was not the case. 

[GoPackGo89]

Something relayed to me was that at this point some professors don't know which students are graduating/found their own funding which delays offering funding for the time being. I was told that they are trying to send out funding offers 'relatively soon' and possibly within a week. At the very least they will talk about funding during the visit days. 

[boilers23]

To comment, I received an email with my funding offer this afternoon. I imagine others will be coming shortly if you haven't received it already.

[G.Mahler]

On 2018. 2. 22. at 10:05 AM, EmilyDamone said:

To comment, I received an email with my funding offer this afternoon. I imagine others will be coming shortly if you haven't received it already.

Congrats!!! Did you accept the admission at UNC homepage before you receive funding offer?

[GoPackGo89]

1 hour ago, G.Mahler said:

Congrats!!! Did you accept the admission at UNC homepage before you receive funding offer?

I have not accepted the admission offer; I did receive funding. 

Can someone with good grammar tell me if I correctly used that semi colon?

[Cal1gula]

The only thing wrong with that post is that semi colon is one word i.e. semicolon.

[leprechaun]

13 hours ago, GoPackGo89 said:

I have not accepted the admission offer; I did receive funding. 

Can someone with good grammar tell me if I correctly used that semi colon?

Thanks for sharing the information! Congratulations on receiving the funding! I have not heard from UNC so far, maybe I email them next week to ask about funding!

[G.Mahler]

I did not receive any information on funding until now... so sad...

[abdelkader_mrt]

Hi everybody, I'm also among those who received an admission offer but no funding info so far. UNC biostat is my top choice right now and waiting for the funding info is very stressful.

Any admitted applicants still waiting for funding info ? Also I feel like only domestic students received funding so far. Any international student with funding offer ?