How do I evaluate funding offers?

[awoh]

I'm an international student so I don't really know anything about cost of living in America.

I have an offer of 22.5k from Maryland. Is this a good offer? Completely average? Below average? How can I determine how good an offer is on my own?

[Nothingtown]

16 minutes ago, awoh said:

I'm an international student so I don't really know anything about cost of living in America.

I have an offer of 22.5k from Maryland. Is this a good offer? Completely average? Below average? How can I determine how good an offer is on my own?

Hey there! Congrats on the offer. That's pretty average for a grad school stipend, from what I have seen.  However, grad school stipends are never much compared to what you typically need to live comfortably in a city in the US. 

You should take a look at some cost of living calculators (here's an example: https://www.nerdwallet.com/cost-of-living-calculator). They'll tell you how far your stipend will go in your selected city, on average. 

I would say in Maryland with 22.5k you're going to need to live with roommates and keep a tight budget, definitely, but it could be doable. 

[Emily Roberts]

I recently gave an interview for Hello PhD on this topic.