Getting more money?

[Guest myb]

So, I've been given one great fellowship to the place I don't really want to go, and a mediocore one for the place I really want to go (tuition and fees and $5000 to live on- not enough!)

Any ideas about how to word an email to the professor asking for more money?

Thanks!

[Guest]

I'm in a similar position and also hoping to leverage one school's offer against another's, but not entirely sure how to do it. If anyone out there has been through this process or is planning a similar course of action, any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Guest]

I don't know if emailing is the best method of asking for more money; Calling would be more personal but harder to do. However yesterday I sent an email to a prof at Purdue who offered me an RA saying that Penn State had offered me more money. I kind of broke down the offers as far as stipend, grad fees, difference in living expenses, and summer options. This morning he got back to me saying that he would recommend me for an additional $3.5k fellowship which he guaranteed I would recieve, but the application process would make it unoffical for a little while. I guess it is all dependant on how much the school wants you and your leverage (other schools' offers). If you already have an offer, you can't lose by asking for more unless you are requesting a ridiculous amount. I'd say go for it. Good luck.

[Guest L again]

I think I may have an opening to ask for more money. The grad advisor's last email to me said something about how he hopes I found their offer attractive. Seems like the perfect opportunity to bring up the fact that it's a $4000 lower than two of my other offers (which are in cheaper locations). Should I mention my other offers and their amounts? Should I wait until the official letter with the current offer arrives? I am terrible at asking for money.

[Guest guest]

do not mention the amounts. Just say them that their offer is considerably lower, and let them know they are your first choice.

[Guest L again]

I completely chickened out.

[tripax]

I've been accepted to two programs (so far) of about equal rank. One, however, did not offer funding. I am nervous about asking them for funding, when I am not yet sure if I would attend even if they gave funding. My decision is contingent on how my other apps go and where my girlfriend (fiance?) gets accepted. I have two questions:

Should I wait until I know that I would attend the school if they funded me before asking for funding?

What is the best way to ask for funding, an email or a phone call?

[anisa]

one of my good friends was on a graduate student admission committee at Fletcher School and she said ALWAYS ask for more money. She said that there is absolutely no harm asking for more money, because once you're admitted all they can say is no. She said that because some admitted students decline offers, that pot of money is then open to give to those admitted already. So ask away, as long as you are polite! Especially if you have a better financial offer somewhere else, you can always word it: "Thank you very much for offering me admissions to BLANK program. I am excited about the opportunity! However, I have been offered significant financial aid at another institution, and though I feel that your program is a better fit for me, I am concerned that I will not be able to afford it." I don't think emailing is bad at all, in fact, I prefer it because you can come across as more professional via email (unless youre great at talking on the phone, which I am not!). Good luck!!

[Guest guest]

Trust me, the schools KNOW that funding is an issue, they just hope to get away with less if you'll come without it. So definitely try for it, politely, even if you're not 100% sure if you'll accept - the financial package is a large part of the decision for many people, this is a professional career decision, after all, money always matters. It doesn't mean it's the most important factor but should be considered seriously - remember, you're giving up several years in the private sector earning money to invest in higher education.

So, don't be embarrassed about it, just be very considerate. Good luck negotiating.

[tripax]

How much information should I give the school when I ask for more funding? Do I need to tell them where and/or how much my other offer is? They are both top 20 schools, and I don't mean for them to try to outbid each other, I just want to know that either way, I could get some funding.

[redice]

Man!!! I feel like an idiot! it never even occurred to me to ask for more money. I have already accepted, is it too late????

[anisa]

you can always try to get more. Again, just ask politely. Say that you are excited about the program but ask if there are any other financial aid opportunities, as you are sitll concerned about your financial aid situation. Again, never hurts to ask. The worst they can say is no.

[Guest askformore]

Of COURSE it's not too late. First of all, you are legally able to reverse your decison to accept as long as it's before April 15. Check the literature. Second, for all they know, you JUST got into a school you were waiting to hear from. And maybe that school gave you more money! If they want you, they'll see this as an opportunity to woo you with more money. Just be polite (while vague enough to worry them!)

[Guest Guest]

I've basically been advised by several people (faculty) that an offer from a school without fellowship funding should be considered a soft rejection. They've also said that under no circumstances should I try to ask for or try to bargain for more fellowship money. In one case, I was told by the Dean of a graduate program that if a student mentioned another school's higher stipend to try and get more money, he would over turn their acceptance to the school. Just what I've been told... If a school makes you an offer of financial support, it is generally considered to be competitive for the field and degree that you are applying for.

[Guest Guest]

I was worried about this. However, I did end up asking for more money. I did it in a way that I think was polite and professional. The reception of the department depends on your field somewhat. In the sciences, where basicly everyone gets funded, it probably is rude because they start out with an offer that is 'competative'. However, in the Humanities, money is much more scarce and offers tend to fluctuate more. I know that the offer I recived was not competative because it was half of what I recieved at another school (and I recived the top fellowship in my field). The graduate director said that 'my concerns make a lot of sense'. Ultimatly, I have to wait to see if I can get more, but at least its out there. The grad director then stressed that they really want to me to attend their program, so I don't think that they were very upset with me asking.

[Guest Guest]

I don't think I'm getting more money, but I am hopefully getting my top-choice school to reduce my TA-ship from 5 years to 3 or 4 years (with the other years free of teaching responsibilities), which is what my second-choice school is offering. I met with the graduate director in person and told him I had this other offer, and they've been very good about trying to match it.

[Guest dettociao]

I'd like to ask for more money as well... but I'm not sure how to say "you haven't offered me enough to live on" without sounding like a complete ass. I don't have any other offers (right now) to leverage.

[Guest Guest]

After some successful leveraging, my top school has now raised their stipend offer by $2000+ per year, lowered my TA-ship from 5 years to 4, and offered two summers' funding for language study. YES!

[ee@byu]

Could you maybe give a few details on what successful leveraging involved? I think several of us would be interested to hear.

[Guest L again]

Please do explain how you leveraged them. Did you speak to the graduate fellowship office or to the department directly? Who in the department---the person who emailed you the acceptance or another faculty member? Did you do this by phone or email? Can I leverage using an offer that has no work obligation to get my first choice to lower their work requirements? Or does that make me seem lazy?!

[rising_star]

I don't think it's lazy, L again. I'm curious about the exact same things because I'm very dependent on funding. I'm about as anti-debt as it gets so better funding packages would help. (AKA, if one school upped the ante, I'd just go there!)

[Guest Guest]

School A (the place in question) was offering a 5-year TA-ship and a stipend that sounded very low to me. I visited and met with the director of the graduate program, and explained to him that I had a very positive feeling about School A, but I had an offer from School B that included a larger stipend and two out of five years free of teaching responsibilities. My program has heavy language requirements, so I told the grad director that I thought 5 years of TA-ing, on top of language work and coursework, would be prohibitive. (i.e. i had a genuine and specific concern about being able to study what i wanted to study and finish on time, versus just wanting more money) They came back to me in a few days with a MUCH better offer. I'm sure it helps that I have really developed a close personal relationship with my potential advisor there and have demonstrated significant interest to several profs. Good luck to all of you in similar situations.

[tripax]

update about getting funding from start point of none: I talked with a professor in charge of funding, she was very nice, but she said up front that their would be no funding for me. She said land grant universities don't have much flexibility with these things, although if an opportunity opened up (like a prof got funding), she'd let me know.

[enoksrd]

I received fellowship offers from four of the five schools that accepted me. Two two year fellowships, a one year fellowship, and a partial first year fellowship (3 TA contact hours instead of 4 during first year). I told all this to the fifth school, and asked for more money. I got nothing.

[yabadaba]

I know this forum is old, but I read it last night before talking to the graduate director of my school about funding, and I can see there are about 3,000 other people who've checked it out. So re:negotiating for more, my school is explicitly telling me that if I have a better offer I should tell them and they'll try to match it. I don't have a better offer (humanities, 15,000, I'm rolling), but if you were in that situation I would recommend approaching the subject, with a lot of flattery about how much you want to go to their school but have to consider which place will give you the living standard to devote yourself to study etc etc.