Stipend Pay Schedule Question

[PathMicro]

I know that it probably varies by school/program, but I was wondering if anybody know about the pay schedule for TA/RA stipends? As in, are they like monthly, twice monthly, at the beginning of the month, the end of the month, etc.

Thanks.

[m.giugno]

I know that it probably varies by school/program, but I was wondering if anybody know about the pay schedule for TA/RA stipends? As in, are they like monthly, twice monthly, at the beginning of the month, the end of the month, etc.

Thanks.

Mine is monthly and I think that's the most common pay schedule. Still don't know "when" during the month.

[StrangeLight]

ask your department. these vary with every program.

[robot_hamster]

Mine is the last business day of the month each month. I'm sure it varies from school to school though.

[PathMicro]

Damn, guess I should save up for the first month's expenses. Moving, rent, food, anything else big that I'm forgetting?

[hejduk]

I was told I'm paid at the end of each month, and that Aug and May (end of each semester) is only a 1/2 check. Sucks!

So yes, definitely save up for that first month. The only thing I can add is probably an emergency fund (who knows what'll go wrong in the first semester), as well as deposits for utilities (which vary by company).

[robot_hamster]

When does the semester start? I had my first check two weeks after the semester began this semester because we started the 3rd week of January. It would be the same in August for me since we start the 3rd week of August in the Fall. So it depends on when they pay you and when the semester starts. But yeah, saving money for the first month would probably be a good idea no matter what.

[captiv8ed]

Mine is every two weeks. The first one was quite a ways into the first month so a lot of people were sweating it. We only get paid nine months.

[lambspam]

Damn, guess I should save up for the first month's expenses. Moving, rent, food, anything else big that I'm forgetting?

Security deposit (for housing and utilities), books, student fees (if they're not covered by your funding package), renters insurance, first and last month's rent (if required). That first month is ominous.

[singlecell]

I know that it probably varies by school/program, but I was wondering if anybody know about the pay schedule for TA/RA stipends? As in, are they like monthly, twice monthly, at the beginning of the month, the end of the month, etc.

Thanks.

So you accepted that offer, congrats!!!!!!

<3 microbiology <3

[Eigen]

Every two weeks, on a Friday... We get payed with all the faculty and staff.

I realized I didn't mention it, but I'm on a 12 month stipend, so we get 26 2-week pay periods per year.

Edited April 30, 2011 by Eigen

[Arcadian]

My program pays its students bi-monthly.

[m.giugno]

Why 26 payments? Have you a 13th month payment? Is that regular for every 12 appointment? Thanks!

[waddle]

Why 26 payments? Have you a 13th month payment? Is that regular for every 12 appointment? Thanks!

There are 52 weeks in a year. Thus, 26 biweekly payments per year.

[Eigen]

What Waddle said. Basically, there are two months of the year where it works out that you get 3 payments- usually some combination of first day of the month, middle of the month, last day of the month.

Edited May 3, 2011 by Eigen

[UnlikelyGrad]

My school pays bimonthly as well. The payment schedule for grad students is posted on the website--you might want to check to see if your school has their schedule posted, too.

[rising_star]

I know that it probably varies by school/program, but I was wondering if anybody know about the pay schedule for TA/RA stipends? As in, are they like monthly, twice monthly, at the beginning of the month, the end of the month, etc.

Thanks.

Varies by university. My MA university paid once a month on the last business day of the month. My PhD University pays every two weeks.

[mandarin.orange]

Damn, guess I should save up for the first month's expenses. Moving, rent, food, anything else big that I'm forgetting?

Rental deposit, temporary health insurance if you're not covered in the interim, housewares etc. that you'd need to set up your new place.

Any expenses from relocating to another state? Like re-registering car, new driver's license, etc. to establish residency.

[ogopo]

My current program bimonthly. I think my new program will be the same but I'm not sure.

[hejduk]

Any expenses from relocating to another state? Like re-registering car, new driver's license, etc. to establish residency.

Thanks for reminding me about this? This move is getting crazy expensive.

I wonder how often people get relocation assistance. Seems pretty uncommon in the social sciences; is it pretty common, or at least more prevalent in the hard sciences?

Edited May 4, 2011 by hejduk

[juilletmercredi]

I got mine monthly (last day of each month) for my first year. Then my uni switched to biweekly. Now I'm on an NSF and it's dispensed 3 times a year (September, January, May) which sucks.

Definitely save up for the first month's expenses. And perhaps a little beyond. My university's bureaucacy is HORRIBLE and for the two years I was on institutional funding, I got paid 2-3 weeks later than they said I would. So my first year I was supposed to get paid Setepmber 30 and it didn't happen until around October 20. My second year I was supposed to get paid September 15 (because I was on 12-month funding and I had gotten my last paycheck August 31) and I didn't get paid until October 1-ish.

Lambspam is right, that first month is ominous. Save up as much as you can, but some schools have emergency loan funds that are specifically to cover this kind of crisis. They are typically small (mine was limited to $500) and need to be paid back in 30 days.

I don't think relocation expenses are at all common at the graduate school level. Maybe at the post-doc level. All told I think my relocation expenses were between $3500 and $4000, but I live in a high-cost city.