funding

[spin]

What's your funding package? What's normal in Political Science? I've noticed that our discipline's package has been increasing in size over the years (no pun intended). :wink:

While I know that the moderator may reprimand me for posting this here rather than the "Bank," I believe it's pertinent to this board given the fact that many of us are weighing competing offers from different schools or are generally curious about the funding package in general in Political Science (rather than all disciplines broadly).

[Quarex]

I have been weighing two main attractive offers, being "there may be an assistantship available as early as next year" or "there is very little likelihood of any assistantship money becoming available for you." So far, I am leaning towards the former--thoughts?!?

No, but seriously, it sounds like $15,000 is seemingly the most average number tossed around. I would be glad to get, oh, 1/15th of that.

[flyingwalrus]

I have offers of $14,700 and $13,000 during the regular school year and $16,200 over 12 months.

[Peter]

Davis is about 16.5K for the academic year, w/good chances of funding in summer as well (I think around 3K for the summer)

UW-Seattle is about 13-14K/academic year w/significantly lesser chances of summer funding

GWU is looking at a funding package of about 18K/academic year....unsure about summer funding

UVA I'd need to double-check on.

Considering cost of living, Davis is the best offer financially. But I'm finding funding to be negotiable and a main factor to consider is how much of your funding comes with the required TA/RA stint and how much of it is fellowed.

[silencio1982]

16k + health insurance at hopkins (5 years). pretty reasonable for baltimore!

[bluewhenitsgray]

Wisconsin: TA position that paid $10,573 in 2007/08. Letter promises the amount "will probably be higher" for TAs during 2008/09 because contracts are currently being negotiated. Read somewhere that Wisconsin is going through financial difficulties at the moment. Not sure if the seemingly quite low stipend is a result of this or rather a general "public universities have less money and more students" thing.

Columbia: 22k stipend + 4k during the summer

American: 9k "Graduate Honor Award" + $7,280 RA-like position

[flyingwalrus]

I suppose I should identify which school is making these offers.

UNC: $14,700 per academic year.

TAMU: $16,200 per year.

Texas: $13,000 first year fellowship, something like $12,520 each academic year thereafter.

[rising_star]

Wisconsin: TA position that paid $10,573 in 2007/08. Letter promises the amount "will probably be higher" for TAs during 2008/09 because contracts are currently being negotiated. Read somewhere that Wisconsin is going through financial difficulties at the moment. Not sure if the seemingly quite low stipend is a result of this or rather a general "public universities have less money and more students" thing.

Columbia: 22k stipend + 4k during the summer

American: 9k "Graduate Honor Award" + $7,280 RA-like position

Yea but Madison may also give less money because the cost of living in Madison, WI is lower than that in NYC or DC...

[bluewhenitsgray]

Yea but Madison may also give less money because the cost of living in Madison, WI is lower than that in NYC or DC...

Oh yeah, definitely. I just meant it seems smaller than stipends I've heard people getting at similarly sized college towns as well.

[AllFiredUp]

Anyone know what Brown proffered.

[spin]

It's also important to note the TAing commitment required in the funding package. Each of my offers have different TA commitments, ranging from one year to four years. I assumed that three years TAing was the norm, but was surprised to find so much variation.

[MissingVandyCandy]

Notre Dame's package this year is 16k over 5 years with a renewable 6th year in most cases. Pretty ridiculously good considering avg rents in south bend are in the low 400s.

[UndraftedFreeAgent]

MissingVandyCandy said:

Notre Dame's package this year is 16k over 5 years with a renewable 6th year in most cases. Pretty ridiculously good considering avg rents in south bend are in the low 400s.

Yeah, but rents in places you'd actually want to live or in places not infested with undergrads overcrowding apartments are a bit more than that. Pay closer to 700 or 800 per month and you can get a really nice place (look in Mishawaka rather than South Bend).

FSU's package is 13k academic year RA + 3K summer

I believe WashU mentioned 16.5k academic year.

Stony Brook is unknown.

[sundaymonday]

Anyone know what Brown proffered.

$18,500K for five years plus $2,500 guaranteed summer funding for 3 years. I think the TAship is for three?

[silencio1982]

16k + health insurance at hopkins (5 years). pretty reasonable for baltimore!

for hopkins- TAing or grading "in a one-semester course each year." not bad.

[lenin333]

Georgetown - $0 with a chance of rain.

Complete Failure - 100%

[AllFiredUp]

lenin, that's crap. You'd live better with Pablo.

[opal32496]

I had 4 offers that varied significantly:

top-10 public school in midwest, college town: TA-based, $15k/yr

top-10 public school in major city: TA-based, $20k/yr, yr 1, $16-17k/yr yrs 2-5

top-10 private school in college town: Fellowship, $27k/yrs 1&2, $25k yrs 3-5

top-15 private school in major city: Fellowship, $22k/yr

So far, I visited 2 schools; at each, there were certain things that are not included in the package but are sources of funding that are pretty standard depending on the program and which faculty member you work with... At one school, multiple professors stated that they fund the costs of conference attendance, assist in research costs, etc. At another, summer funding is standard for yrs 1 and 2 but is not formalized in the package, etc.

Therefore, through the rest of the recruitment process, I have a 3-part mantra: (1) leverage current students' knowledge about how to work each school's funding and bureaucratic idiosyncracies, (2) ask up-front, (3) everything is negotiable (as long as you are tactful!).

Once I select a school, I plan on setting up time with the DGS to go over the final offer to make sure everything is clear and to formalize anything that isn't in the package.

Hope that helps... Please post if anyone has further insights!

[spin]

Georgetown - $0 with a chance of rain.

Complete Failure - 100%

Can you defer? If so, you should consider spending the next "season" looking for external fellowships, if possible.

I had 4 offers that varied significantly:

top-10 public school in midwest, college town: TA-based, $15k/yr

top-10 public school in major city: TA-based, $20k/yr, yr 1, $16-17k/yr yrs 2-5

top-10 private school in college town: Fellowship, $27k/yrs 1&2, $25k yrs 3-5

top-15 private school in major city: Fellowship, $22k/yr

So far, I visited 2 schools; at each, there were certain things that are not included in the package but are sources of funding that are pretty standard depending on the program and which faculty member you work with... At one school, multiple professors stated that they fund the costs of conference attendance, assist in research costs, etc. At another, summer funding is standard for yrs 1 and 2 but is not formalized in the package, etc.

Therefore, through the rest of the recruitment process, I have a 3-part mantra: (1) leverage current students' knowledge about how to work each school's funding and bureaucratic idiosyncracies, (2) ask up-front, (3) everything is negotiable (as long as you are tactful!).

Once I select a school, I plan on setting up time with the DGS to go over the final offer to make sure everything is clear and to formalize anything that isn't in the package.

Hope that helps... Please post if anyone has further insights!

$27K is significant for Political Science, and it's not TA based at all? Not even a single year? I know someone who received a full fellowship and didn't have to TA. Upon graduating and moving on to a tenure-track job, he was mortified at having to teach a class. Given this, I think that even if you receive full funding, you should seriously consider teaching for at least one year. It's great training.

I actually sent a funding offer from a school (fellowship based) to another program to see if they can at least meet half way on the offer. And I did this tactfully, stating the obvious "After much consideration, I've narrowed my choices down to X and Y. While I'm extremely excited about X, I am concerned about the funding package, as Y has offered me..." The fact is, if you have competing offers, you have every right to be aggressive; this is the ONLY time in your graduate career where you'll have leverage. Of course, this is only advisable for schools you're seriously considering (or you'll just be an arse).

[lenin333]

I have thought of that. They say on the website that deferments are not allowed. But can't hurt to ask.

[ivyundergrad34]

I have to ask. What school offered 27k?

[eve2008]

I am choosing between two equally ranked, strong, amazing schools. Both schools have offered very generous funding packages, but one school is offering me more than $25,000 more over five years. I haven't tried negotiating yet. That's a lot, right? Should that be enough to tip the scales?

[Quarex]

Can you defer? If so, you should consider spending the next "season" looking for external fellowships, if possible.

While I do not know Lenin's situation, I know that being currently 0 for 6 in terms of acceptances with funding makes it somewhat likely that I would not be terribly competitive for external fellowships, either. I imagine both Lenin and I (particularly for me, since Lenin got into a "higher ranked" program than any I did) would likely be best served by either not going at all (not bloody likely; I really have no good way to improve my application, short of working my way into a good job [with, again, overall unimpressive credentials] over the span of like 5-10 years, by which time I will likely have kids and other responsibilities and thus no motivation to go to school instead of making "money") ... or just trying to find the best ways to prove ourselves to our departments once we get there. An unfunded acceptance is likely the most exciting professional offer I have received in five years or more.

Of course, there is a third way, if Lenin is like me. I was admitted to M.A. programs for half of my acceptances, which in theory could mean we can try for funding again in a year or two when finishing those up.

[sundaymonday]

I am choosing between two equally ranked, strong, amazing schools. Both schools have offered very generous funding packages, but one school is offering me more than $25,000 more over five years. I haven't tried negotiating yet. That's a lot, right? Should that be enough to tip the scales?

So school X and Y are equally ranked...I'm assuming they have similar post-grad placement? I would go with school Y if they are offering you 5K more per year, unless the money isn't that big of an issue for you or you have a strong reason for being in the area where school X is located. I had a similar dilemma in choosing between two programs, but there were other issues at play aside from the funding package. School X and Y for me were also (somewhat) similarly ranked, had similar post-grad placement rankings, and school Y offered me 5K more per year too. Still, I solicited the advice of a few poli sci profs at different schools in the form of a friendly email, and they unanimously agreed that school X was the better program. Also, school Y didn't offer dependent health care coverage, my partner's aging father was within driving distance to school X, etc. I decided not to go with the money in the end.

Regardless, I definitely think you should send an email to the DGS at school X and see if they can bump up your funding package. It's all part of the game. They expect it, and if anything, it makes you seems more desirable as long as you're tactful about it. I didn't have very much success on that front, but I think it had more to do with financial restrictions at school X than anything else.

[ivyundergrad34]

I am choosing between two equally ranked, strong, amazing schools. Both schools have offered very generous funding packages, but one school is offering me more than $25,000 more over five years. I haven't tried negotiating yet. That's a lot, right? Should that be enough to tip the scales?

I have the same decision to make. I'm going to pick the school offering less because it has a better placement record and that matters more for my permanent income.