PhD Research: Funding

[Scarlet A+]

I'm looking into PhD programs and I've narrowed it down to 15. My goal is to apply to 8-10, but I was wondering how to go about factoring in funding. Many of the programs are so ambiguous about the funding situation, but if they are Top 30 programs admitting such a small amount of students, can I assume that (at the very least, through teaching) the courses will be funded? It would be nice to know exactly how much the stipend would be (in order to factor in cost of living for the area), but I'll settle for knowing that it has some sort of guaranteed living stipend (and tuition coverage). I'm just afraid to waste an application on a program that doesn't guarantee funding in place of a program that does offer funding (not to mention the time & application fees), because if accepted with no funding offer, I won't be attending anyway. 

The funding sheet on GC has been super helpful, but just because one person was offered that amount does not mean that everyone is. Do I email the department and ask what the majority of admits receive for funding? I've seen program websites say something like, "with the many fellowships and assistantships that we have, many applicants receive some sort of funding" but WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? Is it too much to ask to have the funding laid out (or at least the base rate), including a break down of what you have to do each year to earn it (first year fellowship, second to fifth year teaching, sixth year dissertation fellowship, etc)? I am too Type A for this lack of detail. ?

[jrockford27]

I would be incredibly shocked if any program listed in the top 40 or so of the US News rankings in English didn't fully fund every student they admitted.  I don't have an intimate knowledge of each of those programs that allows me to say for sure, but my jaw would drop if I met a grad student in one of those programs and they said they didn't have a tuition waiver and a stipend.

Most programs have a standard funding package.  Some have special funding packages they offer to applicants they find very desirable that have more money. That language you're describing is pretty boiler-plate. Grad school funding is full of things that departments are unable to "guarantee" because budgets vary wildly year to year, but that in practice everyone gets. If you're very concerned about that language and it's giving you anxiety about applying, e-mail the DGS of that program and ask them about it.  It's a very fair question.

Now, how far that stipend goes and how well it allows a grad student to live is another matter entirely.  It is a really important question to ask when you're talking to grad students attending programs you're interested in.

Edited June 25, 2018 by jrockford27

[Regimentations]

There are a few schools in the top 30/40 who do not guarantee funding.

In recent cycles, the following come to mind:

University of Wisconsin offered a 3 year package to multiple phd students.
The University of North Carolina doesn't guarantee first year funding.
Penn State University doesn't guarantee funding to international students.
The University of Illinois has had 3 strikes in the past 5 years due to tuition waivers being threatened to being withdrawn.
The University of Colorado doesn't fund all PHD applicants. They make it known on their page that they only fund 4 spots and the remainder of acceptances are unfunded.

[Kilos]

15 minutes ago, Regimentations said:

There are a few schools in the top 30/40 who do not guarantee funding.

In recent cycles, the following come to mind:

University of Wisconsin offered a 3 year package to multiple phd students.
The University of North Carolina doesn't guarantee first year funding.
Penn State University doesn't guarantee funding to international students.
The University of Illinois has had 3 strikes in the past 5 years due to tuition waivers being threatened to being withdrawn.
The University of Colorado doesn't fund all PHD applicants. They make it known on their page that they only fund 4 spots and the remainder of acceptances are unfunded.

+1 for good info!

And, although I think the University of Oregon is a bit lower at around top 50~ish in the rankings, they don't guarantee first year funding either. It's a weird situation where they don't give classroom teaching appointments to PhD students straight out of a B.A. program if they don't have college teaching experience... and then, because you can't teach the first year, you have to compete for a "limited number" of "non-classroom" graduate teaching fellowships (essentially working as a writing tutor). This was why I ended up not applying though it was one of my top-choice programs. I couldn't risk moving across the country for a spot in a program that had a possibly unfunded first year. Too risky.

I think most people would be really surprised if they knew just how many of these patchwork funding situations exist out there. Also, keep in mind that a lot of these stipends are so low that you simply can't live off of them. I grew up near Eugene, Oregon (where the UofO is), and I guarantee that you can't live in Eugene on the stipend they offer (12k for 0.40 FTE). Guarantee. So you're gonna have to work a significant number of hours on the side. I'd posit that this same situation exists across the country. I wouldn't call a program "fully funded" if you can't eke out a living on the stipend. That's just my opinion.

[jrockford27]

13 minutes ago, Kilos said:

So you're gonna have to work a significant number of hours on the side. I'd posit that this same situation exists across the country. I wouldn't call a program "fully funded" if you can't eke out a living on the stipend. That's just my opinion.

A fair and exceptionally salient point!  Really drives home the importance of contacting grad students in the program and asking them how livable the stipend is.

[Warelin]

5 minutes ago, Kilos said:

So you're gonna have to work a significant number of hours on the side. I'd posit that this same situation exists across the country. I wouldn't call a program "fully funded" if you can't eke out a living on the stipend. That's just my opinion.

I agree with you on that assessment. The term 'fully-funded' often does not mean much. There are schools in the T80 which do a much better job in terms of both funding and job placement. While it's nearly impossible to deny that T10 schools do a better job of placing at more recognized schools (partly also due to their history and their larger class sizes in the past), I think it's also important to consider that
A ) The majority of jobs available are not at R1 Institutions and sometimes these institutions fear that you're just waiting for a position to open up at a "more elite" institution.
B ) The stipend may have been cheaper to live in earlier but has skyrocketed in recent times.  Boulder, CO and Austin, TX are two cities that come in mind which have recently faced a huge increased cost in living.
C) The best fit for your research interests might be better at institutions outside the T20. The specific concentration in that field will recognize names and the type of scholars your program has produced. 
D) The stipends provided at some schools might force you to be far away from campus or you might need roommates to be able to afford rent. Since you'll spend a considerable amount of time at this location, I think it's an important one to consider.

[Kilos]

12 minutes ago, jrockford27 said:

A fair and exceptionally salient point!  Really drives home the importance of contacting grad students in the program and asking them how livable the stipend is.

Absolutely true. If nothing else, do a bit of half-hearted apartment/room shopping in your desired locale. I was blown away by how expensive it is to live in a few of these places. Seriously, shocked.

[Indecisive Poet]

Thanks for posting this topic, @Scarlet A+. I have come across the exact same problem myself with nebulous wording surrounding funding on virtually all program websites (i.e. most just say 'we make every effort to offer students funding' or 'we have a variety of fellowships and TA-ships available') and thought I was just missing something obvious. Many programs in the top 30-50 also say these are competitive.

From these responses, it seems people are suggesting the only way to figure out if a program offers guaranteed, liveable funding is to email current graduate students on their website and ask. Is that right?

Edited July 2, 2018 by indecisivepoet