Columbia - Teachers College - Unfunded PhD program

[augusth0ts]

I was accepted into one program for fall 2020 at Columbia University. It's a PhD program at the Teachers College for Science Education. However, they offered pretty much no funding--just federal loans and federal work study. It definitely doesn't seem like enough to finish a 5 year program in NYC without amassing a lot of debt.

By comparison, my sister and friends who have or are getting PhDs at state universities are fully funded. However, they are all studying sciences (biology, ecology, etc) rather than education.

Does anyone have any experience/advice with funding at Columbia and what that experience is like without a fully funded program? Thanks!

Edit: Forgot to mention, but I could teach another year at my current school and am wondering if I reapply to other schools and potentially get into a fully funded program. It feels like the safer option, but also it feels foolish to not accept a seat at Columbia.

Edited April 9, 2020 by augusth0ts

[Yep]

In New York, this is relevant for most schools at least from my perspective. Teachers college has name merit but overall isn’t the same prestige and quality as other Ivy League schools. In psych PhDs there, they are also a unfunded program. I would suggest really doing the math. The massive debt in comparison to earning potential might not be worth it. Even better, deferring and focus on funded programs is a great idea. Just my two cents

[Justice4All]

On 4/10/2020 at 9:34 AM, Itzik said:

In New York, this is relevant for most schools at least from my perspective. Teachers college has name merit but overall isn’t the same prestige and quality as other Ivy League schools. In psych PhDs there, they are also a unfunded program. I would suggest really doing the math. The massive debt in comparison to earning potential might not be worth it. Even better, deferring and focus on funded programs is a great idea. Just my two cents

The clinical and counseling psychology department does fund their phd students with tuition remission and a stipend. It is a well-regarded program and carries just as much weight as other Ivy League schools. Not sure where this notion is coming from regarding its quality and prestige. Ouch.

As an admit to the counseling phd program at TC, I know that the quality is top tier (one of my professors helped coined the term microaggression lol). The alumni in my program have gone on to be reputable names in the field. However, I also know that I could never afford an unfunded PhD. Can you continue teaching, defer at Columbia, and apply to other schools in the meantime? My understanding is that they are being lenient with deferrals amidst the COVID crisis.

 

From the TC website if you don't believe me (clinical/counseling phd program): "Whereas in recent years, the college has fully funded (tuition + $25,000 stipend) incoming doctoral students (“Doc Fellows”) for three years, beginning with those students admitted in academic year 2020, financial aid packages will continue through students’ fourth year.  Because students should have completed all academic coursework by the end of their third year, financial aid for students’ fourth year is in the form of a $25,000 stipend. As part of the award, Doctoral Fellowship recipients may be expected to serve as a graduate teaching and/or research assistant."

Edited April 13, 2020 by Justice4All

[psychedouttt]

On 4/10/2020 at 9:34 AM, Yep said:

In New York, this is relevant for most schools at least from my perspective. Teachers college has name merit but overall isn’t the same prestige and quality as other Ivy League schools. In psych PhDs there, they are also a unfunded program. I would suggest really doing the math. The massive debt in comparison to earning potential might not be worth it. Even better, deferring and focus on funded programs is a great idea. Just my two cents

Actually, many of my professors/ other faculty and 2 members of my cohort attended Teachers College (for masters in psych). It is one of the most prestigious programs in clinical and counseling psychology in the areas in which their faculty specialize. There's no need for putting down another program and to my understanding, it is indeed funded. Please remember to be respectful on this forum.

[juilletmercredi]

I got my PhD in psychology from Columbia (from GSAS, not from TC). It's not putting down another program to factually state that the psychology programs at Teachers College are not as well-regarded as other top psychology programs; it's just factual. That doesn't mean that the program is not good; or that OP should not go there. It just means the program is not as prestigious. It's important to go into any program with one's eyes open about where one's program stands relative to other ones, as unfortunately it does matter in placement (especially in academic placement.) Most rankings of clinical psychology programs demonstrate that TC's program, while good and a great fit for many students, isn't necessarily considered prestigious. In the U.S. News rankings, clinical psychology at TC is ranked in the 70s.

It is also true that clinical and counseling psychology doctoral students at TC are not always funded, and when they are funded, it's not always fully. I knew some unfunded students in those programs. I also knew students who were funded; they had lower stipends than the students in most other doctoral programs across Columbia, including in the humanities and social sciences. They also were not eligible for a lot of the internal funding/fellowships that other doctoral students at Columbia could get because they were not in GSAS.

HOWEVER! The OP is talking about Science Education, which is one of the fields TC is very strong in, so that's all a moot point.

That said, OP, I'd strongly advise against attending an unfunded program. Education is a field that it is more difficult to get funding in, perhaps, but I have a few people I know who have gotten funded education degrees. As you've noted, New York is incredibly expensive. Columbia is also incredibly expensive. Even if we were generous and said you secured funding by your third year (which is not guranteed), you'd still probably be about $150,000 in debt ($45K tuition and fees + $30K living expenses x 2 years) by the time you get there.

I would stay at your school, teach one more year, and reapply to more programs with the hopes of getting funding.