Is $19000 enough in NYC?

[bokano]

NYU provides $19000/year fellowship, but I am not sure if it is really enough to live in New York City...any thought?

[Guest Paddy_Conscience]

I lived in NYC for four years, so I think maybe I can help you out. If you want to live anywhere near NYU, $19K will not be nearly enough to pay your rent and still be able to eat. If the university is offering any kind of subsidized/reduced-rate housing, TAKE IT. Any freebies they are willing to throw your way, grab 'em. Trust me, in NYC you can't leave your apartment without spending $30.

[Guest]

I lived in NYC for four years, so I think maybe I can help you out. If you want to live anywhere near NYU, $19K will not be nearly enough to pay your rent and still be able to eat. If the university is offering any kind of subsidized/reduced-rate housing, TAKE IT. Any freebies they are willing to throw your way, grab 'em. Trust me, in NYC you can't leave your apartment without spending $30.

You just ruled out a school for me. Thanks!

[Guest]

I am guessing you got the MacCracken Fellowship, which I got as well. Note that the GSAS financial aid website is a bit outdated and so the 19K is not for the actual stipend figure. My admission letter said 21.5K for 9 months, so there you go, a bit more money.

One other thing is the 9 months, so during the summer you get get an RA from the supervisor, when you manage to find one, do some teaching, or just find some work, any work.

So I am optimistic about the MacCracken Fellowship. The other good thing about it is that you do not pay the health insurance or student fees, which can amount to quite a bit. The 1K startup grant for books and computer equipment is sweet too.

So now that you have a bit more info, you can make a better decision.

Oh, and I decided to go to NYU afterall.

[Guest]

You can definately live in NYC for $19k. The most difficult part of this, however, is finding an apartment in the city which is incredibly ridiculous to do. I recommend starting on someplace like newyork.craigslist.org. Although this site is not the most reputable, it sometimes has cheaper apartments. You may have to live in a borough such as Brooklyn or Queens, but many places within these borroughs are very nice and relatively cheap to live, although you will then have to factor in transportation costs (about $80 a month for unlimited transportation). Also, NYU provides limited graduate housing options, although I'm not sure of the price. Remember that this money is for 8 months, not a year, so you can supplement this by some kind of summer income. Although $19k isn't a lot to live on in NYC, it is definately possible with some budgeting and frugal spending.

[Guest]

You can live in nyc for under 20K a year, I did it, lots of people do it. Get a roommate, everyone in new york has one, up to their 30s and 40s it's quite common practice. Live in Brooklyn where everyone else who isn't a yuppie or investment banker or trust fund kid lives happily, safely, and within a 30 minute door-to-door commute of NYU (depending on what neighborhood you live in). NYU graduate housing is a scam, overpriced, you share a studio with another person. Just get an apartment elsewhere. So: 9k per year for rent and (shared) bills, 5k for groceries, 1500 for transportation, then you get $400 per month during your eight months of school for entertainment. Plus you'll have plenty of research and other ops to earn some cash. Have fun in the city, it's great.

[Guest guest]

You can live in nyc for under 20K a year, I did it, lots of people do it. Get a roommate, everyone in new york has one, up to their 30s and 40s it's quite common practice. Live in Brooklyn where everyone else who isn't a yuppie or investment banker or trust fund kid lives happily, safely, and within a 30 minute door-to-door commute of NYU (depending on what neighborhood you live in). NYU graduate housing is a scam, overpriced, you share a studio with another person. Just get an apartment elsewhere. So: 9k per year for rent and (shared) bills, 5k for groceries, 1500 for transportation, then you get $400 per month during your eight months of school for entertainment. Plus you'll have plenty of research and other ops to earn some cash. Have fun in the city, it's great.

I thought NYU Grad housing was 2-bedroom apartments in Stuyvesant Town which were priced pretty well (~$9,000-12,000 for the school year?)

I'm highly considering it if I go to NYU and can't get a better apartment easily.

[Guest]

I am guessing you got the MacCracken Fellowship, which I got as well. Note that the GSAS financial aid website is a bit outdated and so the 19K is not for the actual stipend figure. My admission letter said 21.5K for 9 months, so there you go, a bit more money.

One other thing is the 9 months, so during the summer you get get an RA from the supervisor, when you manage to find one, do some teaching, or just find some work, any work.

So I am optimistic about the MacCracken Fellowship. The other good thing about it is that you do not pay the health insurance or student fees, which can amount to quite a bit. The 1K startup grant for books and computer equipment is sweet too.

So now that you have a bit more info, you can make a better decision.

Oh, and I decided to go to NYU afterall.

21.5K is for the last year. They expect to give me higher for this year but I haven't received the package yet.

Do you know how much(draftly) I can earn during summer as an RA?

[Guest One of the guests above]

"21.5K is for the last year. They expect to give me higher for this year but I haven't received the package yet.

Do you know how much(draftly) I can earn during summer as an RA?"

I received my admission letter and it says 21.5K/year. This is most probably the last year rate. I think it is the same for all departments. I guess it increases every year with the inflation rate. We will know in September.

I am not so sure about the RA rate. It completely depends on the prof/supervisor who will be paying it. If they have grants and are willing to be generous, it is great. It'd have to be at least 3K/summer, as every other school offers at least that much.

My acceptance letter does not say anything for a supervisor. Do we get one after we pass the QEs? How does this work? I'll contact my department with these questions, but if you learn sooner, please let me know.

As for housing, my letter said we'd be offered subsidized 2 bedroom apartments for the first year in the Stuyvesant Town. I checked the rate, and it is about 13K/academic year (for 2 people I hope?). It is not that bad since it is 2 people. I hope the living conditions are good, as I'll be going there. These 2 bedrooms have kitchens, and one can save a considerable amount by cooking their own food. The meal plan price looks ok, but then I do not know the quality of the food there. Anyone can offer advice on this?

[Guest]

Is the stipend taxed? If so, the situation may prove to be even more difficult.

[Guest One of the guests above]

"Is the stipend taxed? If so, the situation may prove to be even more difficult."

It most probably is taxed. Will have to remind myself to save for it.

But then many grad students make it through the year on these stipends, so they should be ok, right?

[Guest another guest]

I work in NYC and live in Westchester county, which is cheaper than living right in the city. You can definitely find cheaper rents if you are willing to live further away from campus, or in New Jersey. The tradeoff is that you then are paying more in commute time and transportation (Metro North pass is $184/month, unlimited subway pass is $76/month). If your $19K is the only income you will have, it will be seriously tough. As in, major lifestyle change. You will be eating ramen noodles for every meal and you will likely live in a shoebox. In any case, you will have to be very creative in how you entertain yourself and how you spend your money. My rent for a large 1 bedroom in Westchester is $1150/month, which is roughly the price for just a bedroom in a shared apartment in Manhattan. Friends visit my place in Westchester and are wowed by how much space I have vs. their tiny NYC apts.

If NYU is your dream school, I would say that anything is possible, you can make it work, you can find roommates, you can suffer a little. However, you can't be getting Starbucks coffee every day and going out often. It's just not feasible. If you are still thinking about NYC, I would call your department and see if there are any other forms of aid available. If not, you can always try to find outside funding (scholarships). Supposedly there are millions of dollars out there that don't get used each year because students don't know about funding that might be available to you (if you come from a particular socio-economic or ethnic group, or if you are studying a given topic). Worth looking into. Good luck with your decision.

[Guest another guest]

I work in NYC and live in Westchester county, which is cheaper than living right in the city. You can definitely find cheaper rents if you are willing to live further away from campus, or in New Jersey. The tradeoff is that you then are paying more in commute time and transportation (Metro North pass is $184/month, unlimited subway pass is $76/month). If your $19K is the only income you will have, it will be seriously tough. As in, major lifestyle change. You will be eating ramen noodles for every meal and you will likely live in a shoebox. In any case, you will have to be very creative in how you entertain yourself and how you spend your money. My rent for a large 1 bedroom in Westchester is $1150/month, which is roughly the price for just a bedroom in a shared apartment in Manhattan. Friends visit my place in Westchester and are wowed by how much space I have vs. their tiny NYC apts.

If NYU is your dream school, I would say that anything is possible, you can make it work, you can find roommates, you can suffer a little. However, you can't be getting Starbucks coffee every day and going out often. It's just not feasible. If you are still thinking about NYC, I would call your department and see if there are any other forms of aid available. If not, you can always try to find outside funding (scholarships). Supposedly there are millions of dollars out there that don't get used each year because students don't know about funding that might be available to you (if you come from a particular socio-economic or ethnic group, or if you are studying a given topic). Worth looking into. Good luck with your decision.

[Guest]

I thought NYU Grad housing was 2-bedroom apartments in Stuyvesant Town which were priced pretty well (~$9,000-12,000 for the school year?)

I'm highly considering it if I go to NYU and can't get a better apartment easily.

I was the one who wrote about the grad housing scam. I went to NYU for part of my undergrad and I think just in general the dorm living is a ripoff -- not because the apartments are terrible, since not all of them are -- only because you can save money by living elsewhere more cheaply. I had grad student friends living in conditions like I described in the Water Street apartments (I think it was there, or one of the other downtown locations) but I have no idea what the deal is re the Stuyvesant Town apartments. I still think that grad students living on 19K a year shouldn't be paying $1000 a month, but that's me, maybe you have other ways to budget. Do consider Brooklyn -- Williamsburg, Carroll Gardens, Park Slope, Greeen Point, ideally you'll get a share where you're paying half as much as in grad student housing and have a nice place and neighborhood.

[Guest Reg]

It is true. NYU housing is just not worth it. You can save money and live better by looking for a room in an apartment elsewhere. Columbia, nevertheless has better housing.

I lived with less money there, although in the summers I saved money by going home. I would say that with 1,000 a month you might be able to SURVIVE. It is definetely worth it to look for a place in Brooklyn or Queens. Williamsburg, in Brooklyn, is very close to NYU although it has become expensive. Other neighborhoods worth checking out are Fort Green, Park Slope (a bit far away though), Prospect Heights (the nice area, since it has a ghetto close to it), and Clinton Hill (close to Pratt institute).

In Queens, I would suggest Astoria since you can take the train very easily, although Queens in general is well known for having a bad subway system. Woodside is also fine.

Do not worry about communiting to NYU, public transportation simply kicks ass in NYC (yes, it's 24 hrs). Nevertheless, I wouldn't go as far as Jersey or above the 125 st. in Manhattan if you are going to NYU.

Now back to the money, the most important thing is to get cheap housing. I think, though, that you should calculate around $800/month for a descent room with roomates in an apt. You may find something better for a good price, but I truly think getting used to that idea will help you out. The tradeoff is basically how far away you want to live: the closer to Manhattan between financial district and columbia, the more expensive it gets. There are some good cheap deals in the upper east anyway. Just watch the heart of Harlem.

Another good advise is to cook as much as you can. You can't really eat cheaply in many places. Expect around $ 5-7 dlls in an average cheap place, for example. And around $ 10-12 in a medium priced restaurant. You can get every sort of food though, and very good one indeed. Nevertheless, by cooking at home, you will get a good meal for 1/4 of that.

Another tip: quit smoking (if you do)! Otherwise $7-12 dlls in cigarrettes depending what you like. Also, drink at home (and invite friends over): in a cheap bar a crappy beer can be around $5, and some good Belgian beer around $8. Let's not even talk about real drinks where you should expect around 8-15 depending. So get friends in your neighborhood (or live with a friend) it will save you having to go somewhere for the night.

Buy used books (of course). And do not go shopping unless strictly necessary. Really, it may sound stupid, but there is so much stuff in NY that is hard to keep your hands out of your pockets. Oh, by the way, get used to not saving money.

About entertainment, Just walking around in New York is quite an experience (and very safe as well); MoMA is free on fridays; NYU has relatively cheap tickets for many events, and theatres and concerts usually have student tickets, (very good sits by the way). Also, universities show good movies.

In any case, NY is just an amazing city. True, you may need three times that income and still not enjoy it fully, and people are somewhat special, but you will find your way. Everybody is poor in NY anyway, no matter how much money they make.

[Guest asdf]

I got a letter in the mail about a MacCracken Fellowship for next year providing $23.5k for 5 years and an extra $1k for moving expenses. Probably about as good as it gets as a grad student in NYC. Still, I suspect the $15.5k I was offered for UIUC is ~$30k in NYC dollars.

[Guest Guest]

Does your letter sayy 23.5K/year? Mine says 21.5K, but then that is probably the last year figure.

If it is 23.5K, then that is nice, as it is a uniform salary for all departments, which means I'd get it too.

On another note, what do people here think about the ongoing struggle of the grad assistants at NYU?

It worries me a little bit they way they treat the grads, and it is no good news for the future years.

[Guest scm]

I also get the MacCracken Program. Can any senior tell me the detail duty for the program? They say I'm supposed to do TA for at least 2 sems for the 5 years. Is it all?

[Guest guest]

As far as I know, the McCracken does change a bit among depts. But it is always above 20k. I believe it is fairly good enough to live in NY.

[Guest Guest]

The fellowship amount can change, albeit only slightly. I was admitted to two NYU departments, both with that fellowship, and they're offering different amounts around the range of $1-2k. I'd also like to hear people's opinion on the union, etc. Yes it's true that NYU no longer recongizes the union, but then no other school ever recognized one, so are they really that bad?

[Guest and another guest]

i thought the maccracken is given by the gsas, and i doubt they'd make it different from department to department. you know how much extra work it is for the clerks to prepare the cheques every month?

as for the student unions, they exist in canadian universities, and grad students there negotiate for their rights and their wages. i am shocked there's no suchin the us. so in this respect, nyu is not much worse than the rest of the us schools. what is bad is the way the president of the nyu acted towards the union attempts.

[Guest guest]

Some departments do offer more money than others. Specifically sciences and math, as they have more funding to throw at their students (whereas humanities departments sometimes struggle to fund students at all).

[Guest guest]

I am in sciences, and it only said 21500 for the first year and 22500 for the second year. Can others post how much were they offered as part of the MacCracken?

[Heisenberg]

McCracken? Sounds like a fellowship for cracked out grad students..

[Guest Glad to be in sciences]

Keep in mind that on top of MacCracken it is often expected that you will seek external funding, such as summer support, so don't think that you need to live off of whatever GSAS gives you alone. I'm under the impression that many NYU science students make more than $30,000 in combined support.

I don't think it's worth it to give specifics of the offer my department made vs anyone else's, that sort of discussion will probably only drive us all crazy. Just look over at the NSF forum if you want to see true insanity over details and rumors . I can state definitively though that each department offers different amounts.

Hope everyone's decisions are going well!