Is public school funding enough to cover cost of living?

[BobBobBob]

Hi all! I have been admitted to a couple of public schools (UCSD and Michigan to be exact), I'm wondering if fundings provided by these schools are enough to cover the cost of living in wherever they are located. Or generally how does it feel to live on a 20K+ funding? Input and experience from other schools are equally welcome as I think a many people share the same concern with regards to funding/life as a PhD. Thank you in advance!

[deutsch1997bw]

I'm from Michigan, and although Ann Arbor is a moderately expensive city, I think $20,000+ would be sufficient. 

[StrengthandHonor]

I'm in Chapel Hill, and $17k/year is sufficient. The funding at UNC is on the low end, but it's fine. My spouse and I live comfortably on my stipend, in a nice but old apartment not far from campus. She works, but her earnings net 0 after her school expenses. 

So yeah. I mean, we don't eat out every day, I make my coffee at home and carry a thermos instead of buying coffee during the day, we've got our car paid off, and we shop at Aldi. Yeah, a public school stipend won't go very far if the cost  of living is insanely expensive, nor will it go very far if you're a big spender. But if you're happy to live modestly, you probably won't have any problems. 

 

[izmir]

2 hours ago, StrengthandHonor said:

I'm in Chapel Hill, and $17k/year is sufficient. The funding at UNC is on the low end, but it's fine. My spouse and I live comfortably on my stipend, in a nice but old apartment not far from campus. She works, but her earnings net 0 after her school expenses. 

So yeah. I mean, we don't eat out every day, I make my coffee at home and carry a thermos instead of buying coffee during the day, we've got our car paid off, and we shop at Aldi. Yeah, a public school stipend won't go very far if the cost  of living is insanely expensive, nor will it go very far if you're a big spender. But if you're happy to live modestly, you probably won't have any problems. 

 

I got a question for you regarding the summer funding. So that 17k is paid in a 9-month period. Do you have a chance to continue assistantship during summer and earn extra 5k or are there any summer funding available? I checked the website but it is too vague and uninformative.

Edited February 10, 2018 by izmir

[guest56436]

Simply put, it's enough, but not especially comfortable.

The bigger issue with public stipends - but this doesn't necessarily apply to all public programs - is that not only are the stipends low, but they are tied to service. Many public programs require you to TA every semester. This is a major drag on your ability to compete research productivity wise with people who hold internal fellowships for multiple years at private universities.

[WHC_2017]

I am on the same boat, plus options from Berkeley and Duke. Overall, Duke seems to offer the most (35K+) but I guess most private schools would do that. Haven't heard the exact pacakge from Berkeley yet, but I assume a 20K package might make it difficult to live in SF? 

[izmir]

9 minutes ago, WHC_2017 said:

I am on the same boat, plus options from Berkeley and Duke. Overall, Duke seems to offer the most (35K+) but I guess most private schools would do that. Haven't heard the exact pacakge from Berkeley yet, but I assume a 20K package might make it difficult to live in SF? 

10k in Chapel Hill is equal to 22k in Berkeley. http://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/costofliving.html

[WHC_2017]

5 minutes ago, izmir said:

10k in Chapel Hill is equal to 22k in Berkeley. http://gradschool.unc.edu/funding/costofliving.html

That's very helpful! Thanks for letting me know. Would be more interested in what eventually Berkeley could offer. 

[durianseason]

I go to Michigan and I spend about 1.5 k per month on average (including rent, food, and some shopping). If they have summer funding, it makes your annual income around 31k. So you will be fine. And yes, let me know if you have any questions about Michigan!
 

Edited February 10, 2018 by durianseason

[BobBobBob]

Thanks for all the inputs! I agree with @Comparativist in that financial packages offered by public universities do seem to come with teaching/RA responsibilities. But would I be correct in assuming that generally people in private universities also try to take on TA/RA responsibilities, the only difference being those responsibilities are extra bucks for them?

I have a couple of options from private universities but for me Michigan's reputation and UCSD's location (plus personal reasons) are hard to beat. I'm still waiting to hear from several other schools. Fingers crossed!

@durianseason This is very helpful! Knowing that the cost of living is around 1.5k/month is very assuring! I think Michigan's stipend sums up to around 23k/year although it is a little complicated. Would that be enough to afford a modest - comfortable living in Ann Arbor?

(P.S. I looked at Duke's FA again and realized that it is a somewhat crazy amount. So it's probably true that Duke offers the best stipend/COL ratio among top programs?)

Edited February 10, 2018 by BobBobBob

[guest56436]

11 minutes ago, BobBobBob said:

Thanks for all the inputs! I agree with @Comparativist in that financial packages offered by public universities do seem to come with teaching/RA responsibilities. But would I be correct in assuming that generally people in private universities also try to take on TA/RA responsibilities, the only difference being those responsibilities are extra bucks for them?

There's a great deal of variation. For example, NYU has no teaching requirements and students get paid extra on top of their funding to TA. Most private (and some public) programs have some combination of X years fellowship and X years TA responsibilities, but they vary in those combinations (some programs you may not have to TA at all, some programs only one year, some a couple of years, others multiple or all). Usually, when you have X amount of years of TA service, you don't get paid any differently than the fellowship years, but again, every program is different. 

RA work has no real logic to it. It can be supplemental, can be funded through the professor's grant, or could replace TA responsibilities. 

Edited February 10, 2018 by Comparativist

[durianseason]

@BobBobBob it really depends on your lifestyle but rent goes around 700 if you live with a roommate (at least in my case). Food + entertainment is around 500 k. And other expenses around 300. (Aside from expenses, monthly income tax will be around 300). As I have said, summer funding really adds up so I am sure you will survive.
But yeah, Duke's funding, from what I heard, is probably the most generous you will find.

[StrengthandHonor]

2 hours ago, izmir said:

I got a question for you regarding the summer funding. So that 17k is paid in a 9-month period. Do you have a chance to continue assistantship during summer and earn extra 5k or are there any summer funding available? I checked the website but it is too vague and uninformative.

There is quite a bit of summer funding available for teaching, RA work, or just your own research. Those are much more likely to be received in summers 3 or 4, though. 

A lot of students work an alternate job in the summer. There are public policy thinktanks in Raleigh, etc. where you might get an internship or fellowship. 

[buckinghamubadger]

https://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-living-calculator.aspx

 

This site can help you estimate cost of living adjustments. 

[jnewcomb08]

On 2/10/2018 at 1:57 PM, durianseason said:

@BobBobBob it really depends on your lifestyle but rent goes around 700 if you live with a roommate (at least in my case). Food + entertainment is around 500 k. And other expenses around 300. (Aside from expenses, monthly income tax will be around 300). As I have said, summer funding really adds up so I am sure you will survive.
But yeah, Duke's funding, from what I heard, is probably the most generous you will find.

500k for entertainment, huh?  you take the party to the next level.

[durianseason]

13 hours ago, jnewcomb08 said:

500k for entertainment, huh?  you take the party to the next level.

am broke now halp. #madamebovary

[TakeruK]

On 2/10/2018 at 10:44 AM, BobBobBob said:

Thanks for all the inputs! I agree with @Comparativist in that financial packages offered by public universities do seem to come with teaching/RA responsibilities. But would I be correct in assuming that generally people in private universities also try to take on TA/RA responsibilities, the only difference being those responsibilities are extra bucks for them?

Not always. I did my PhD at a private school and the funding wasn't technically tied to TA and RA work, but we were all expected to do TA and RA work anyways. The TA work was "part of our education" and although it was light (about 10 hours per week for 30 weeks total in the entire PhD), we did not receive any payment for it. Sometimes grad students are assigned to TA classes in areas where we didn't do as well in our quals exams so that we can get an extra review of the material. 

As for RA work, these counted as course credits. We enrolled in full time research coursework and we did RA work through there so no extra money there either. However, we only did research work towards our dissertation, so we could treat it as if our fellowships were paying our research work and the pay was okay. 

Every year, we even get a letter from HR to "confirm" that our stipend was a fellowship paid to us and that we provided "no services" in exchange for these money. I think the above setup plus the letter is designed to specifically exclude us from the "employee" class and therefore restrict our right to collective bargaining/unionization as well as preventing us from claiming certain rights for employees. However, the National Labor Relations Board recently ruled that we could still be unionized. And, due to strong student advocacy on campus, there were plenty of good policies that exceeded the state's minimums for employees (e.g. we got paid maternity leave). Compared to what I was used to in Canada though, having all these benefits existing only because of the "goodness of the University's heart" instead of being required to by law was a little unnerving. 

To clarify: not really complaining, just pointing out that not every place pays extra for TA/RA work.

[cpmethods]

On 2/10/2018 at 12:06 PM, WHC_2017 said:

I am on the same boat, plus options from Berkeley and Duke. Overall, Duke seems to offer the most (35K+) but I guess most private schools would do that. Haven't heard the exact pacakge from Berkeley yet, but I assume a 20K package might make it difficult to live in SF? 

May I ask if you have any information regarding your Duke package, as it differs from the ones I as well as my friends received, about 29K. Did you negotiate or was it displayed like that from the beginning? Or do you inclue the health insurance and the fee scholarships as part of your mentioned stipend?

Edited February 16, 2018 by cpmethods

[cpmethods]

And by any chance could people who have been offered admission to Duke share their stipend package? I am wondering if mine is low on purpose as its not even close to the 35k mentioned above..

[displaynamehere]

On 2/16/2018 at 1:33 AM, cpmethods said:

And by any chance could people who have been offered admission to Duke share their stipend package? I am wondering if mine is low on purpose as its not even close to the 35k mentioned above..

Also 29k. 

[sabine]

Would people admitted to Michigan be willing to share their stipend package? Like @BobBobBob mine also amounts to around 23k with a fellowship for the first year, GSI/GSRA next four years. Is this fixed for public schools or are there people who received more?

[DialecticalBiologist]

On 2/9/2018 at 10:47 PM, BobBobBob said:

 I'm wondering if fundings provided by these schools are enough to cover the cost of living in wherever they are located. 

No

[BobBobBob]

11 minutes ago, DialecticalBiologist said:

No

Can you provide a little more details? How much are fundings short of and how are current students dealing with it?

[DialecticalBiologist]

3 hours ago, BobBobBob said:

Can you provide a little more details?

Many large public schools (particularly Big 10 schools) allow students to adjunct to make more money. While this is a good option for people who need the money, the time required to make syllabi/grade/teach coupled with the lost time for personal research (particularly on the 5-year timeline) generally results in high levels of attrition among students without fellowships.