NYC stipend

[Imenol]

Hello,

I have been offered a place at Columbia for the following year. However, as an international student, I am not really sure how affordable it is to live in NYC on a PhD stipend. These are the conditions of my offer:

* A stipend of $29,350 during the academic year for up to five years.
* A summer stipend of $3,772 for five years, to be disbursed after the first year of enrollment.
* The Gold-level insurance premium for the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan, as well as half of the Gold-level insurance premium for any eligible dependent

Do you think this would be enough to live in NYC without getting into debt? Thanks for the help

[ltr317]

Hi Imenol.  If you don't mind room/apartment sharing and you don't have an extravagant lifestyle then it's a very livable stipend.  If you've already decided on attending look into both on campus/off campus housing with the University's facilities/housing office. 

[AnUglyBoringNerd]

5 hours ago, Imenol said:

Hello,

I have been offered a place at Columbia for the following year. However, as an international student, I am not really sure how affordable it is to live in NYC on a PhD stipend. These are the conditions of my offer:

* A stipend of $29,350 during the academic year for up to five years.
* A summer stipend of $3,772 for five years, to be disbursed after the first year of enrollment.
* The Gold-level insurance premium for the Columbia Student Medical Insurance Plan, as well as half of the Gold-level insurance premium for any eligible dependent

Do you think this would be enough to live in NYC without getting into debt? Thanks for the help

I have the exactly same package and based on correspondence with current students, it's very doable.  I am also an international student~

Edited February 23, 2018 by AnUglyBoringNerd

[juilletmercredi]

Super livable. I got my PhD at Columbia and my stipend was pretty comparable to that. You will need a roommate or roommates and will need to choose an affordable neighborhood to live in. If you go through the university housing you can live in Morningside Heights, nearby Columbia; if you choose an off-campus apartment that neighborhood will likely be out of your reach, and neighborhoods like Harlem and Washington Heights will be more affordable.