Departments funding for visits?

[mjej]

I was recently accepted to a program with full funding & tuition waiver, and invited to attend a prospective/new student open house in a couple of weeks. However, I do not live in the region (east coast) and will have to travel for the better part of a day to get there (from the Midwest), plus pay for 2 nights in a decent hotel (no discount places available....definitely $130+/night).

Do you think it uncooth or presumptuous to diplomatically inquire about department funding for candidates' travel? If not, how would you approach it?

[papillon_pourpre]

All of my visits have been paid for by the various departments. If they're recruiting you, they're going to assume you have other options. They're not going to risk you going elsewhere because you couldn't afford to come visit. I'd just call and ask if they'll reimburse you for travel expenses/book your hotel if you want to be sure, but generally (esp. for an open house) they should cover almost everything.

Congratulations and enjoy!

[welfareballer]

I straight up asked my school and they were fine with it.

[mjej]

Thanks for weighing in. I'm glad to hear these opinions, since I threw caution to the wind last night & emailed the grad director to inquire about travel funds. I haven't heard from her yet, but I'll report my results.

I didn't play hardball . . . I said right up front that I'd attend either way, but explained that I'd spend 2 days on the roard & 2 nights in a hotel, and that any help would be very helpful, if funds were available.

[coffeeplease]

If nothing else, they'll probably try to arrange for you to stay with a current student, which would cut down on the cost significantly.

[mjej]

If nothing else, they'll probably try to arrange for you to stay with a current student, which would cut down on the cost significantly.

I'd feel sorry for that grad student . . . I have a wife & 3 year old now. :-) You're right, though . . . That arrangement would be helpful for a single student

[mjej]

Well.....the results are in......and I wasn't offered travel funds for my visit.

The DGS said they don't have any funds to support student visits, though she hopes they will in the future. lol.....I hope so, too, but it doesn't help me much now! Still the email was friendly and I'm looking forward to my visit, even if I will be shelling out several hundred dollars :-( .

[guttata]

Well.....the results are in......and I wasn't offered travel funds for my visit.

The DGS said they don't have any funds to support student visits, though she hopes they will in the future. lol.....I hope so, too, but it doesn't help me much now! Still the email was friendly and I'm looking forward to my visit, even if I will be shelling out several hundred dollars :-( .

Look at it this way - Better to spend a few hundred now and potentially find out you HATE the school/town/dept/advisor than spend several THOUSAND and waste a few YEARS to move there and leave...

[mjej]

Absolutely. I'd go if it costed twice as much to visit. But it sure would have been nice to have some of my costs defrayed.

[Tequie99]

You could also ask for word to be put out around the department or school. Having worked in the hotel industry (in MI), I know that here a number of local schools have discounts & special negotiated rates. The grad school maybe able to direct you to ones they do, or you could simply ask the hotel. Trust me, it's not unheard of to lower a rate to get the business. Alternatively, you may also find a student or students willing to put you up for a night or 2. While as Decaf mentioned above, it may not be the best situation, crashing on a couch for a night or 2 would be a small price to pay to see said school...