Graduate School Loans

[MissRyan]

Hello everyone (or current PhD students with living expense loans),

I was recently offered a funding package, which includes tuition waiver and a stipend each year (for 5 consecutive years). However, I will need more then the stipend to actually live (pay rent, eat, etc)...

Therefore, I am wondering what the best loan would be for living expenses.

Thanks

[iopsych]

Hello everyone (or current PhD students with living expense loans),

I was recently offered a funding package, which includes tuition waiver and a stipend each year (for 5 consecutive years). However, I will need more then the stipend to actually live (pay rent, eat, etc)...

Therefore, I am wondering what the best loan would be for living expenses.

Thanks

You can get federally subsidized loans up to 9k per year as a full time graduate student and can probably find some type of funding over the summer. I would recommend trying to get by on your stipend and the 9k because if you go over that you have to go into unsubsidized loans which accumulate interest from the second you take the loan. If you can make it with subsidized loans they will not begin accumulating interest until 6 months after you graduate, which could save you thousands of dollars in the long run.