Tution Scholarship w/no living stipend

[gradschoolstinks]

A'ight folks. I was accepted to a nice school with a full tuition scholarship (I have to take 1 year of classes before beginning research), but no living stipend. How do these schools expect us to pay rent w/no stipend?

4 classes + 20+ hours of work is going to be near impossible. Has anyone done this before? Did you survive? I once worked a 20 hr job outside of school w/3 classes and almost couldn't pull it off.

What to do?!!! Take out more loans? I told myself if I had to take out more loans I wouldn't go back for the Ph.D. Too much debt. HELP!!! Any advice would be really appreciated.

[ZeratulsAvenger]

That's a tough situation... if it were me:

A) I'd ask the department or other students how (un)usual that type of offer is, and what the chances are that you'd end up with an RA or something by the end of the academic year. If you only had to pay for one year, that's significantly less to deal with.

B ) Ask the school if there was anything they could do for you regarding housing/funding. During a discussion with the head of the department at one of the schools that accepted me (PhD, Eng), I was told that I should contact him if money was going to come between me and an acceptance. In this case, I was granted a 'partial' stipend (~9 months), and would likely be picked up in a lab for the summer to work. The offer was several thousand less than competing universities, which I told him.

Or it could mean:

C) You were effectively rejected. If they don't want you enough to pay, is it worth it?

D) You need to find a professor to commit to you before you get an offer. At two schools, I was accepted but needed to find funding (meaning, find a professor to commit to me) before anything else would happen. They made that pretty obvious though.

Hopefully you find yourself in one of the first two situations... Good luck!

Edited March 25, 2010 by ZeratulsAvenger

[NervousNellie]

I just want to say I have the same exact problem (with the particular stress of a $1750 mortgage I am chained to and kids who can't couch surf with me while I go to school, kwim?!!!)

[gradschoolstinks]

I just want to say I have the same exact problem (with the particular stress of a $1750 mortgage I am chained to and kids who can't couch surf with me while I go to school, kwim?!!!)

I hear ya. I don't have kids, but I do have a dog, which is definitely an added responsibility and expense. Can't believe they didn't give me a stipend! I don't understand how they expect you to juggle 4 classes and work enough to pay rent and eat. Crazy. I'm thinking about dropping the Ph.D. idea and just getting a job. It might feel good to make some money for a change.

[mbs191]

Yes! Do what is mentioned above and ask "how do other students cope / get around / etc" and their response should help guide you not only in how to achieve it, but maybe to find out their eagerness for u to make it work?

[gradschoolstinks]

That's a tough situation... if it were me:

A) I'd ask the department or other students how (un)usual that type of offer is, and what the chances are that you'd end up with an RA or something by the end of the academic year. If you only had to pay for one year, that's significantly less to deal with.

B ) Ask the school if there was anything they could do for you regarding housing/funding. During a discussion with the head of the department at one of the schools that accepted me (PhD, Eng), I was told that I should contact him if money was going to come between me and an acceptance. In this case, I was granted a 'partial' stipend (~9 months), and would likely be picked up in a lab for the summer to work. The offer was several thousand less than competing universities, which I told him.

Or it could mean:

C) You were effectively rejected. If they don't want you enough to pay, is it worth it?

D) You need to find a professor to commit to you before you get an offer. At two schools, I was accepted but needed to find funding (meaning, find a professor to commit to me) before anything else would happen. They made that pretty obvious though.

Hopefully you find yourself in one of the first two situations... Good luck!

You think it could mean C?? Even with a full tuition scholarship? Jeez, I hope not! Actually, I was accepted to a #1 school in my field, but with 0 funding and 0 potential for funding. In fact, I asked about 2nd year funding and they said it was unlikely! That, I considered a 'polite' rejection, although no living stipend is totally uncool!

[peppermint.beatnik]

You think it could mean C?? Even with a full tuition scholarship? Jeez, I hope not! Actually, I was accepted to a #1 school in my field, but with 0 funding and 0 potential for funding. In fact, I asked about 2nd year funding and they said it was unlikely! That, I considered a 'polite' rejection, although no living stipend is totally uncool!

"C" used to be the assumption, but since the recession, I'm not so sure that's always the case.

[Phyllis Stein]

I don't think schools should accept students they can't fund, plain and simple. But it seems that they do because if you're willing to except the crappy circumstances, then why not. You will be there doing essentially unpaid work by assisting your advisor with their research (sure, it will be your work, but still an extension of their research program). I don't think this is a good circumstance under which to attend grad school. It will lead to resentfulness and possibly worse on your part. My suggestion would be to work and also do something to boost your application so that next time around you will get a more competitive offer.

[gradschoolstinks]

I don't think schools should accept students they can't fund, plain and simple. But it seems that they do because if you're willing to except the crappy circumstances, then why not. You will be there doing essentially unpaid work by assisting your advisor with their research (sure, it will be your work, but still an extension of their research program). I don't think this is a good circumstance under which to attend grad school. It will lead to resentfulness and possibly worse on your part. My suggestion would be to work and also do something to boost your application so that next time around you will get a more competitive offer.

Agreed. I don't understand why they didn't suck it up and dish out a stipend. Stinks. I think my application is pretty strong now, and I'm really afraid that if I prolong going back to school that I just eventually won't go.

Ugh. Ph.D. w/o stipend, or throwing in the towel and getting a job? Just have no idea what to do!!!