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Funding


neutiquamerro

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Public Universities: expect 15-18k a year + tuition waiver + health insurance.

Private Universities: expect 20-22k a year + tuition waiver + health insurance.

Ask about student fees as well. MAKE SURE THEY GIVE YOU HEALTH INSURANCE!!!!!

A lot of this depends on the overall rank of the program. Subtract about 3k from each of these once you get into the 30's and below.

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The person suggesting that you make sure they include health insurance is being a bit silly. Not all schools cover health insurance for graduate students and the department isn't going to cover it for just you and no one else. If it's not included, just calculate it in with the rest of the fees. Though honestly, at some point, it's worth it to make a little less and be in a place where you'll be happy and able to thrive academically than it is to make $2-3K more and be some place where you're miserable.

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I must say I'm torn about this. On the one had, if this was a regular employer (and considering the age of most graduate students and the duration of the programs, I largely see graduate school as employment) I would definitely say it would be foolish not to negotiate, even if you are the only one. Employers will give you as little as they think they can; it's up to you to ask for more in this system. On the other hand, graduate schools are also obviously providing us with a service-- education and credentials. I just don't know.

Also, would you accept a funding offer that was only for 3 years?

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Also, would you accept a funding offer that was only for 3 years?

I'd try to talk to current grad students about that. What do they live on in their fourth or fifth year? I'm sure you're not expected to finish your dissertation in 3 years - maybe there are additional fellowships or funds you can apply to for your fourth year.

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Wanted to update:

Indiana's offer for soc this year was a minimum of tuition waiver and health + $12,500 (5,500 each semester and 1,400 during the summer) guaranteed for 5 years.

But, they are still working on some fellowships, so it could go up.

Not great, but bloomington is so fucking cheap I feel like I'm stepping back in time when I look at craigslist.

Seriously--I can get a 3 bedroom house on 4 acres right in town for 1/2 of what I pay in San Diego. AWESOME!!!

Sorry to those coming to southern california after years in the midwest/south. It hurts and you never stop being angry about high rent.

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FYI: I met with one of my profs today who said that schools in Arizona, Florida, and especially California are suffering the most because of the economic crisis. I think she said the housing situation is reeeally bad in California, and that a LOT of their funds are tied to endowments so when the market crashes, it takes them down, too. Also, Florida relies on sales tax instead of income tax, which comes from tourism, which is down because people can't afford vacations. She couldn't say whether or not it'll be worse next year, but she suspects that schools are having to choose between smaller cohorts or smaller stipends.

She said the state that's probably in the best situation financially is Texas. But screw them!! (rejected me just after our meeting - no biggie.)

BTW, I also told her that I haven't heard from UCSD yet even though they've already accepted and rejected some other people.

Her response: "...how do you know that??" :D

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  • 1 month later...
What funding packages should we be expecting/hoping for? What's an example of a good package in sociology? A bad one for sociology?

Reviving an old topic: one of my schools gave me this, which compares the standard financial offer at a lot of Soc departments (in 2004)...

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i08/08a01001.htm

Hope you guys find it useful!

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Also, one professor I was talking to asked how much schools were awarding me for stipends. When I gave her the figures she was utterly shocked, saying that she was given the same amount, if not more, when she attended graduate school over 15 years ago. :cry:

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Reviving an old topic: one of my schools gave me this, which compares the standard financial offer at a lot of Soc departments (in 2004)...

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v51/i08/08a01001.htm

Hope you guys find it useful!

Am I blind or is University of Minnesota not on that list?

It's not a comprehensive list (I tried to say "a lot" of soc depts, not all) - some of my schools aren't on there either. But it's better than nothing.

Here's another resource: http://chronicle.com/stats/stipends/

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