Last-minute app question: listing personal funds?

[mostlytoasty]

Hi Guys,

So I'm filling out my first app for submission (UCSB) and this came up:

"What amount of personal funds are available to you for funding your graduate study?"

Does how much I list here effect my probability of receiving a funded offer? Honestly, I have no personal funds or savings... everything I earn is going toward student loans, rent, etc. But I don't want to write "$0.00" if that's going to keep me from getting an offer because they think I can't pay. If necessary I could borrow money from family/take out more loans. What do you guys think or suggest? I might just put a tentative number.. but what to put?

[waparys]

For some schools I just put that I would not be able to to attend without departmental funding.

[georgestrait1982]

^^^ i did this for all schools. the people looking at your application are aware of the fact that it is stupid to get an advanced degree in english if you have to pay for it.

[Gauche]

Unless you or anyone else in your immediate family is a millionaire, you should never pay to go to grad school for an English program, especially not a doctoral program.

Just mark your personal funds as zero. If a school really wants you, they'll fund you.

[dazedandbemused]

Is this common on a lot of your applications? It seems weirdly intrusive to me. The closest thing I've seen to that is when they ask whether my attendance is dependent on funding.

To which I reply, "yes, please."

[Bearcat1]

I applied to UCSB and put zero. And they also ask what your student loan debt is, which felt extremely intrusive to me. I put the truth (a LOT) and since it was the only app that asked that of nine, I just answered truthfully and moved on. I have no idea how one's debt is relevant, and every time I think about it it irritates me all over again. If I remember correctly, however, not answering wasn't an option.

[waparys]

I'm also international--I think Maryland was the only one to ask me to fill out extra financial paperwork listing my sources of funding. I just put departmental funding and stipend.

[DaisyAdair]

Interesting, Bearcat. I have not come across the question about student loan debt. I don't have any debt, but I am still not sure I would be comfortable with the question.

[t1racyjacks]

Berkeley asks too, for the international fellowship I didn't put zero, but the actual amount I put down is pathetic anyway and definitely wouldn't even last one academic year

[Bearcat1]

Interesting, Bearcat. I have not come across the question about student loan debt. I don't have any debt, but I am still not sure I would be comfortable with the question.

I'm not comfortable with it at all, and I have to look at it every time I log in to the app to check if my recommendations are complete. But it was only UCSB; none of the other 8 programs I applied to had anything similar about funds or debt.

[chaucerettescs]

The application for UC Berkeley asked for a thorough breakdown of resources/expenses, including how much money I think I'll make in Summer '13, what it'll cost me to move to the university, health/dental expenses for the 2013-14 school year and on and on and on. It was a bit overwhelming and frustrating because I genuinely don't have a way of knowing how much money I'll have come September and felt forced into answering with my worst case scenario numbers.