Better first year funding vs. better funding in subsequent years?

[Inyo]

I'm deciding between two different schools, let's call them school A and school B.

 

At school A (a private research university), I've been offered a first year TA + fellowship package that works out to 34k for the first year. 29k of that is guaranteed in subsequent years (up to 5, I think), and it's likely I'd have to stay on the TA for multiple years because my potential advisor doesn't have a grant to do what I'm looking to do (though he would happily advise me along the path I want to go on). 

 

At school B (a public institution), my potential advisor has a massive grant to support me. The problem is that that grant prevents her from covering tuition of state students, and so I'd have to be on a TA for the first year. However, because I've applied to a small, specialized program (that has no undergrad department), I'd need to TA in another department. That department can only accommodate a 50% appointment for TAs outside of that department. They also wouldn't be able to confirm an appointment for me until July. So far, I haven't been able to get a dollar figure from them, though I do know that at least tuition and fees would be covered. 

 

Both school A and school B are in high cost of living areas. While I have sizable savings (I've worked for several years and I'm super frugal) and could afford a year with no income, that would hit my saving for a house fund pretty hard.

 

I'm nervous about signing on to go to school A without a clear picture of what my first year support would look like. BUT it's clear that subsequent years would have better funding at school A, and I'm likely to be in a program for 5 or 6 years. 

 

Neither program is a perfect fit (though, so far as I can tell, there is no program that would be a perfect fit for me! Developing one's own highly specific research interests before attending graduate school causes some difficulties), and they have very different strengths and weaknesses. It's a hard choice between the two, and it may come down to funding. I could cross my fingers and hope for the NSF GRFP, but I'm not super hopeful that I will get it! 

 

If you were me, what would you do?

[TakeruK]

I'm not super sure what is your funding situation at B is like. Are you saying that your supervisor there cannot cover your tuition for the first year but she can for future years? 

 

Personally, I would probably go with A if everything else is roughly equal and it only came down to funding. With School A, you have an exact amount of funding expected for your first and subsequent years. Pretty good funding levels too, even if it's in a high cost of living area. But the main reason I'd choose A is that you are secure in knowing your funding is guaranteed and you can TA within your own department. Having to TA for multiple years is the norm (although it depends on what the load is).

 

At School B, it sounds like you have a nightmare situation where you have to coordinate between multiple departments to get your funding. I would also be concerned about the lack of a quoted support level that you can hold them to. It doesn't sound like you will be guaranteed TA funding at B (likely the other department would prioritize filling TA spots from their own students first) so you might have to worry about funding every year at B. 

 

You also say that subsequent years at A will be funded at a higher level than B. Since you have savings, I would consider the total overall value of a funding package (spread over all the years) since having a few thousand more in the first year isn't going to make a huge difference (even if you invest it!)

[Inyo]

Bah, it looks like in the 4th paragraph I switched which letter I was using for which school. I blame getting up at 4am on the daylight savings day to catch a flight (I've flow to visit school B, the public institution).

 

To be clear: At the public institution (school , I would be well supported after the first year on a research grant, BUT I won't get a firm confirmation of a TA position until July for first year support. I've been told that it's "almost certain" things will work out. It's the "almost" that's made me nervous. The PI who's been recruiting me (and I've been aggressively recruited by this institution) has made it clear that she wants me working on research ASAP rather than teaching. I've got a rather unique background that aligns extremely well with her work, and she clearly believes I'll be very valuable to her project. 

 

At the private institution (school A), I would be very well supported (34k stipend + tuition + fees+ insurance covered) for the first year. BUT I'd have to be on a TA for multiple years, as the PI I'd work with (and there's only one who does anything close to what I want to do) doesn't currently have a grant that follows my interests. He'd work to get me one, though. 

 

I LOVED my visit at school A, and I'll be at school B on Tuesday to see how I like them all in person. There are tons of other factors at play, but the funding situation is a big part of that. (A financial factor in school B's favor is that they guarantee *paid* maternity leave for grad students, and my partner and I are thinking of starting to have babies in 4-5 years. Plus, school B is close to my mom who is eager to provide free childcare to future grandbabies.)

 

Working a regular job has made me very used to knowing exactly where my paycheck is coming from. I know I'll be taking a pay cut by going to school, I just want to make sure it isn't a cut to zero! 

[TakeruK]

Bah, it looks like in the 4th paragraph I switched which letter I was using for which school. I blame getting up at 4am on the daylight savings day to catch a flight (I've flow to visit school B, the public institution).

 

To be clear: At the public institution (school , I would be well supported after the first year on a research grant, BUT I won't get a firm confirmation of a TA position until July for first year support. I've been told that it's "almost certain" things will work out. It's the "almost" that's made me nervous. The PI who's been recruiting me (and I've been aggressively recruited by this institution) has made it clear that she wants me working on research ASAP rather than teaching. I've got a rather unique background that aligns extremely well with her work, and she clearly believes I'll be very valuable to her project. 

 

At the private institution (school A), I would be very well supported (34k stipend + tuition + fees+ insurance covered) for the first year. BUT I'd have to be on a TA for multiple years, as the PI I'd work with (and there's only one who does anything close to what I want to do) doesn't currently have a grant that follows my interests. He'd work to get me one, though. 

 

I LOVED my visit at school A, and I'll be at school B on Tuesday to see how I like them all in person. There are tons of other factors at play, but the funding situation is a big part of that. (A financial factor in school B's favor is that they guarantee *paid* maternity leave for grad students, and my partner and I are thinking of starting to have babies in 4-5 years. Plus, school B is close to my mom who is eager to provide free childcare to future grandbabies.)

 

Working a regular job has made me very used to knowing exactly where my paycheck is coming from. I know I'll be taking a pay cut by going to school, I just want to make sure it isn't a cut to zero! 

 

Ah okay, this clears things up! I know what you mean by wanting to know exactly where the money is coming from -- in Canada, it's very clear, RAs and TAs are paid hourly rates so we are told we are expected to work X hours for $Y payment. Also, I understand the appeal for paid maternity/parental leave for grad students -- my old school in Canada offers 52 weeks of unpaid maternity leave with potential to claim Employment Insurance benefits if you had accumulated enough work hours. It looks like in the US, the standard is a measly 12 weeks off, unpaid! My spouse and I are also planning on children while I'm a student but unfortunately, a benefit like that wasn't available at any of my choices. My school does have a stipend supplement for childcare though, so that's better than nothing.

 

Are you saying that School B will pay you better than $29k/year for sure after the first year? If so, and if it's a significant amount more -- like if your stipend is going to be something awesome like $40k/year, then I would now lean towards School B so long as you can get the promise for the higher funding in writing. At the visit, you can probably get a sense of how likely you'll get a TAship this July at School B -- talk to the students, maybe some of them have gone your path in the past, and/or talk to the administrators about success rate of TA placement etc. 

 

But since it doesn't sound like you have actual numbers from School B, and School A already has a pretty high total funding package, unless School B is super awesome, the difference between the two schools will probably be pretty small. So it might come down to benefits like maternity leave and proximity to grandparents as well as how much you like the department during the visits more than actual stipend values!