Updated Funding Packages

[youngim]

On 4/11/2018 at 1:05 PM, Warelin said:

Sorry about that. I had to temporarily lock it down because people were vandalizing the forms and deleting a lot of the data within it. I restored it to an earlier copy and have been approving people who request access. I'm hoping to reopen it back to the original settings soon.

I see! That makes sense. Thanks, I now have access to the spreadsheet.

[nowherelit]

Can someone explain these funding packages to me? For example, is "$15,000 + $5000 for the summer" not inclusive of tuition waivers, healthcare, etc.? Otherwise, the funding would be a lot higher, no? 

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

21 hours ago, nowherelit said:

Can someone explain these funding packages to me? For example, is "$15,000 + $5000 for the summer" not inclusive of tuition waivers, healthcare, etc.? Otherwise, the funding would be a lot higher, no? 

Hi! So - @Warelin, please correct my errors as this is your creation - the funding package sheet tells you the stipend amount. It doesn't include tuition waivers or healthcare details (or conference funding/other financial support) as that information isn't considered part of the stipend that you earn for TAing or what have you. So, in your example, you will get 15,000 for 9 or 10 months (I'm assuming 9 months) and then a summer stipend of 5,000, all for rent/living expenses/etc for the work you do as as TA (even if that requirement is waived for your first year) or as a fellowship recipient. 

Additionally, health care & other fee coverage changes from school to school - for example, one of the programs I was accepted to covered all mandatory fees and healthcare for the duration of the degree and one of the programs I was accepted to covered 80% of healthcare, didn't cover all mandatory fees, & didn't cover minor tuition fees after a period of time (post-coursework). The third school that I considered offered a different combination of healthcare and fee coverage. 

I think the chart is more meant to give a more general sense of what schools are offering their students. Additionally, I'd assume that all of the schools on the funding list offer full-tuition remission, partial (if not full) health care coverage, and some amount of conference funding (whether it is through the dept itself or the grad school) -- all of that detailed info will be included in the offer from the school, too, of course. 

Edited May 2, 2018 by a_sort_of_fractious_angel

[Warelin]

I think you've gotten it perfectly @a_sort_of_fractious_angel. If a tuition waiver isn't guaranteed, some people have been kind enough to include that in the notes section! With so many schools and programs now covered in the document, it's impossible to verify 100 percent of them so updated information is appreciated even if the school's information has been entered in a previous year.

While not all schools offer mandatory fees, there are some schools that do. Tuition waivers and health care coverage aren't included under stipend because the amount isn't paid to you. Sometimes, information regarding conference funding can also be found in the departmental handbook if it isn't included in the acceptance letter.

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

8 hours ago, Warelin said:

I think you've gotten it perfectly @a_sort_of_fractious_angel. If a tuition waiver isn't guaranteed, some people have been kind enough to include that in the notes section! With so many schools and programs now covered in the document, it's impossible to verify 100 percent of them so updated information is appreciated even if the school's information has been entered in a previous year.

While not all schools offer mandatory fees, there are some schools that do. Tuition waivers and health care coverage aren't included under stipend because the amount isn't paid to you. Sometimes, information regarding conference funding can also be found in the departmental handbook if it isn't included in the acceptance letter.

Excellent point - @Warelin is totally correct in that some schools put "other" funding details & financial info into a handbook and not the acceptance letter.

Some handbooks (in my limited experience) are publicly available - if you've been accepted somewhere and cannot access or find the handbook, I think it's perfectly fine to request a copy from the DGS so that you can make an informed decision. 

[nowherelit]

4 hours ago, a_sort_of_fractious_angel said:

Excellent point - @Warelin is totally correct in that some schools put "other" funding details & financial info into a handbook and not the acceptance letter.

Some handbooks (in my limited experience) are publicly available - if you've been accepted somewhere and cannot access or find the handbook, I think it's perfectly fine to request a copy from the DGS so that you can make an informed decision. 

Thank you both!

[Indecisive Poet]

Is this information for guaranteed funding, competitive possibilities, or both? For example, I know UC Davis' program is not funded... the website makes it seem like there is limited funding available for some students, but that's it.

Edit: okay, I see that some have notes saying not all students are offered funding. I wonder if anyone who isn't offered funding ever actually accepts an offer of admission... 

Edited May 13, 2018 by indecisivepoet

[Warelin]

On 5/13/2018 at 9:06 AM, indecisivepoet said:

Is this information for guaranteed funding, competitive possibilities, or both? For example, I know UC Davis' program is not funded... the website makes it seem like there is limited funding available for some students, but that's it.

Edit: okay, I see that some have notes saying not all students are offered funding. I wonder if anyone who isn't offered funding ever actually accepts an offer of admission... 

I have heard of some students accepting offers without funding. I could see no funding being offered for an MA program if there weren't any additional responsibilities but I'm not sure how students do it during a PHD program where those experiences are needed to land a job.

[grubyczarnykot]

Not sure if this is the right place for this, so please correct me if there's a more appropriate forum! I'm wondering how people have funded, or are planning to fund their moves if the offer they've accepted is quite a ways away. I'm moving from the midwest to the west coast in the fall, and I still have some work to finish up from my MA but have run out of my meager funding for the year so am living back with my parents. I'm working in the service industry as well, but I'm finding I need more time to dedicate to both finishing up my MA and preparing for my PhD in the fall (priorities, if possible), so I'm not going to be able to really work enough to fund the entire move. I also know that the first stipend can be a bit delayed, so I'm keeping that in mind as well. 

Basically, I'm wondering what people generally do in this situation. Credit cards? Bank loans (what are those, even)? Is it appropriate to email the administrator of my future department to ask about specific financial situations like this? For context, I can't borrow money from my family (they have none) and my stipend from my MA definitely wasn't enough to save anything, let alone really survive on ?

Any tips/suggestions on either how you've moved/plan to move OR how to appropriately email a department about moving expenses would be greatly appreciated.

[placeinspace]

On 5/13/2018 at 10:06 AM, indecisivepoet said:

Is this information for guaranteed funding, competitive possibilities, or both? For example, I know UC Davis' program is not funded... the website makes it seem like there is limited funding available for some students, but that's it.

Edit: okay, I see that some have notes saying not all students are offered funding. I wonder if anyone who isn't offered funding ever actually accepts an offer of admission... 

Wait, this is the first I've heard of Davis not offering funding. Do you have any links or anything to back that up? 

[Warelin]

59 minutes ago, kgras13 said:

Wait, this is the first I've heard of Davis not offering funding. Do you have any links or anything to back that up? 

I think the website portion being referred to is here: http://english.ucdavis.edu/graduate/fellowships-and-financial-aid

Generally, programs that guarantee funding don't require you to fill out a separate forum for fellowships or GTA appointments.

[placeinspace]

41 minutes ago, Warelin said:

I think the website portion being referred to is here: http://english.ucdavis.edu/graduate/fellowships-and-financial-aid

Generally, programs that guarantee funding don't require you to fill out a separate forum for fellowships or GTA appointments.

I've read that exact page and clearly misunderstood it multiple times. I'm so unprepared for navigating all of this. Guess Davis won't be my top choice anymore. Thanks for the help!

[Indecisive Poet]

@kgras13 I've been continually confused by this page too. But "non-resident tuition fee fellowships are awarded to competitive new students who are not residents of California" definitely suggests that most students (unless they accept predominantly CA-based students, which I doubt) don't receive funding, as it is competitive.

It may be worth reaching out to the DGS to double-check. I may end up doing this later on down the line because I'd also be very interested in their program if it were funded.

[Warelin]

On 7/26/2018 at 9:16 AM, indecisivepoet said:

@kgras13 I've been continually confused by this page too. But "non-resident tuition fee fellowships are awarded to competitive new students who are not residents of California" definitely suggests that most students (unless they accept predominantly CA-based students, which I doubt) don't receive funding, as it is competitive.

It may be worth reaching out to the DGS to double-check. I may end up doing this later on down the line because I'd also be very interested in their program if it were funded.

I think what's most confusing is its placement on a joint MFA/Ph.D. page which are two distinct programs. Not too long ago (5 years?), there were many unfunded or poorly funded MFA programs. The number of funded MFA programs has increased substantially in the previous few years, but I'm wondering how much of it is leftover from that time period.

[Warelin]

Thank you to all of those who have contributed to these threads in the past few days. I've  run some calculations to update the COL index for all numbers and have them sorted automatically with as many current figures as I could find. In terms of how far your stipend can go in a city, the top 15 schools ranking are as follows:

1. Duke University
1. Princeton University
3. University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
4. Emory
5. Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
6. Johns Hopkins University
6. University of Chicago (UChicago)
6. Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL)
9. Rice University
9. Yale University
11. University of Chicago
12. University of Michigan
13. Brown University
13. Southern Methodist University (SMU)
15. University of Notre Dame

While there are other programs that might pay more in stipends, the cities they're located in are very expensive. However, that shouldn't stop you from applying if it's great fit.

[Warelin]

This google doc: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1XNJR4IhOJ56zd7zLuVSUK7h054dBRNvyiC7iStCOsxo/ is now back to being in public mode! I hope this creation helps you as much as it helped me when I was doing my initial research

[a_sort_of_fractious_angel]

Thank you, @Warelin - this is awesome. I  appreciate you bringing in COL as a factor for some % of Ph.D. students. It is important, as apps start in earnest, to remember that it is OK and normal to be concerned about COL and living quality as a Ph.D. student.

[Norse_Medievalist]

I really appreciate this. I've been trying to compile a file with estimated stipend costs with the schools I'm aiming for. Currently have a list of twelve and trying to figure out who would be the better schools to apply to. Your list is really helping. I appreciate it. 

[Warelin]

53 minutes ago, Norse_Medievalist said:

I really appreciate this. I've been trying to compile a file with estimated stipend costs with the schools I'm aiming for. Currently have a list of twelve and trying to figure out who would be the better schools to apply to. Your list is really helping. I appreciate it. 

If you want to discuss your list, I'd be more than happy to answer any questions you have.

[Norse_Medievalist]

You guys are awesome!

So, as my user name would suggest I'm going for medieval literature. Specifically old Norse Sagas and old Irish myths/origin stories. I've been the most engaged with literature of this kind in my undergraduate career and now in my career as a Masters student. This is my last year working on my Masters degree, and then I'm taking a year off to adjunct and save up moving money. I know that moving states is going to be pretty pricey.

My current list of schools are as follows but will likely change:

• Cornell University (recommended by my mentor)
• UPenn
• University of Virginia
• Duke
• Johns Hopkins
• University of Western Michigan
• University of Tennessee - Knoxville
• University of North Dakota
• UNC - Chapel Hill
• UNC - Greensboro
• Louisiana State University
• University of South Carolina

The schools in the Carolinas, other than Duke, are typically back up schools. I really want to spread my wings a bit more and challenge myself in a new environment. I'm also debating on sending an application to Brown. I know a lot of people say to submit to at least ten places, since part of graduate school is a numbers game, but is there a cap off I should be looking at for how many applications to send off? I'm not applying for a bit still, aiming to be in school Fall 2020, but I figured the more I learn now about the process and about how other students have handled it the better off I'll be.

[Warelin]

On 10/25/2018 at 8:33 AM, Norse_Medievalist said:

The schools in the Carolinas, other than Duke, are typically back up schools

I would try not to think of any schools as "back up" since that term doesn't really exist at this level. There are people who were accepted at places which receive more than 200 applicants and were also rejected by schools that receive significantly fewer applications. I would make sure that the schools that you apply to have people that would be a good fit for the type of work you want to do.

On 10/25/2018 at 8:33 AM, Norse_Medievalist said:

I know a lot of people say to submit to at least ten places, since part of graduate school is a numbers game, but is there a cap off I should be looking at for how many applications to send off?

Graduate School is part of a number game, but "fit" is more important. I'd submit as many applications as you have time to work on, could imagine yourself living in that city and being happy with that school and department's culture, and could afford.  SOPs take time and involve a lot of time to get to know the department you're applying to. Programs can tell when they're not being customized specifically to them.

 

On 10/25/2018 at 8:33 AM, Norse_Medievalist said:

John Hopkins

I'm confused on this one. Johns Hopkins doesn't have a medievalist in their English department. They have two 'early modernists' but that's a different focus.

[Norse_Medievalist]

Back-up is a poor choice of words, I suppose. More lower on the hierarchy of schools that I would want to go to. All the schools on my list are schools that I wouldn't mind going to. But not the far reaching goals. Does that make sense?

I understand about fit. I keep trying to research which schools will have the programs I need, the funding, and be in an area that I'd be okay with living in. Is there a minimum that should be applied to or as long as you feel like you'd fit you should just apply and make sure your SOP shows you researched? Sorry I'm full of questions. Mind just goes a mile a minute when I think about all the planning I'm trying to do for this.

Johns Hopkins was one I was told to look at by my graduate director. It's on the list but It's one of my iffy ones. It's why the list is going to be changed up a bit as I keep going through stuff. 

[Indecisive Poet]

17 hours ago, Norse_Medievalist said:

So, as my user name would suggest I'm going for medieval literature. Specifically old Norse Sagas and old Irish myths/origin stories. I've been the most engaged with literature of this kind in my undergraduate career and now in my career as a Masters student. 

You might look into Rutgers if you haven't already -- though I can't recall anyone there who works on your specific interests, there are a few really great medievalists there and the focus tends to be on the Anglo-Saxon period rather than the usual 14th century authors. There has also been an abundance of courses offered in the medieval period in previous years.

[Norse_Medievalist]

I was looking at Rutgers right as you said something about it, believe it or not. It's on my list. It seems that no one focuses completely on medieval literature, leaning towards other focuses, but there are quite a few classes offered in that time period. 

I might post up a thread later with the information I've found on medieval literature programs for other medieval literature people or to get feed back about the schools. Thank you for the help!

[Indecisive Poet]

On 10/29/2018 at 3:30 PM, Norse_Medievalist said:

I was looking at Rutgers right as you said something about it, believe it or not. It's on my list. It seems that no one focuses completely on medieval literature, leaning towards other focuses, but there are quite a few classes offered in that time period. 

Stacy Klein, Larry Scanlon, and Sarah Novacich all focus entirely on medieval literature -- albeit not Norse or Old Irish ?