Funding offer made over the phone. . . but I don't have anything in writing yet!!???

[AR13]

I received a phone call from the professor who is offering me funding for the next 3 years (she was also the one who told me I was admitted into the PhD program, since my electronic acceptance letter didn't post to my account until the next day).

Haven't heard from her in 2 weeks. I sent an email last week with some questions, but I haven't gotten any response. My primary concern is that I don't have this offer in writing yet through the Financial Aid Office. Should I trust that my offer is in process, or should I worry that I have had no response from the professor since the initial offer?

I don't want to seem pushy, but I also want to have the offer in print.

Any thoughts??

Edited March 31, 2010 by AR13

[BKMD]

At one school, I was told about my funding about 10 days or so before I got a PDF letter through email from the actual admissions office, so don't worry - I doubt anything happened. The process can be slow.

Nonetheless, be sure you do get something in writing before you make any official decisions. I'd say it's perfectly fine to ask that professor or the admissions office when you're going to receive something official; I don't think you'll come across as pushy.

[Postbib Yeshuist]

Is it possible she said something along the lines of "I've requested full funding for three years?" Schools do it many different ways, but my understanding is that funding is ultimately the purview of whoever does financial aid at your program, and that profs more or less just make recommendations (unless there's a set, year-by-year financial system laid out that doesn't change much).

[johndiligent]

I think you should call the secretary up and see if you can get it in writing. You need to be sure before you make a decision based on funding since there's always a chance - even if it's slim - that promised funding will never materialize.

[DariaIRL]

Like others have said, don't officially accept until you receive the funding info laid out. Three years sounds great, but what do they consider a year? Is it 12mos or 9mos or other? Things like that should be clear before you decide to accept or not.

I second the recommendation of emailing/calling the department secretary/advisor/program asst to ask about the funding. I'm not sure what place a Financial Aid Office has in sending you your support offer for a department's program, tbh. The offer details, including financial support, should be coming from the program itself. Financial Aid is an individual/student's own decision and work process.

[oldlady]

You are not alone:

I got an official letter with funding details from the division several weeks after I got an unofficial e-mail acceptance from the department. The official division letter said that my funding would be triggered by paperwork I would fill out for the Financial Aid office. When I asked for additional information from the division about said paperwork and didn't hear back, I called the Financial Aid office directly. The person I spoke to on the phone was extremely nice and helpful. He told me that the procedure had changed several years ago and that the division was not up to speed; that I should be receiving a new and different official letter from the Fianancial Aid office within the next several weeks; and if I didn't get that letter by mid-April, I should call back.

So FWIW, maybe you ought to try calling the Financial Aid office directly... Good luck!