Funding Guaranteed only for 2 years, Normal?

[rohit2412]

I have a very generous offer from a place I would love to go. However the RAship guarantee from POI is for only 2 years of the PhD program. The continuation is dependent on performance and funding. Is this normal and expected or I should be cautious regarding my impression specially for the first two years.

[Trantorian]

My funding was only guaranteed for 2 years, but you should also get a sense of funding from visiting day, right? I was told that the admissions committee at my school went and asked professors if they had funding available for students before they decided on acceptances so I know that my advisor should at least have the funding for me (unless I really suck and they want to kick me out). I'm trying to remember what my other offer was like, but I think it was only a 3 year guarantee as well, definitely not all 6 years.

[Nerd_For_Life]

My gut reaction is Yikes! I can't imagine doing a PhD without a longer funding guarantee, but I also don't have experience with the US school system (in Canada). My MA funding was for 1 year (1 year program) and the PhD program I'm going into funds for 6 years, versus 4-5 years at the school I turned down.

[wabisabi]

My offers have varied from only one year of funding, to having it guaranteed for the duration, to not specifically mentioning a time period. I'm not at all worried about the one-year offer, since it's a well-funded department and my POI is awesome. I just can't see them cutting me off after a year! My impression is that professors won't take on a student unless they think they'll have funding to see that student through.

 

Depending on the wording of the letter you got, you might ask for clarification/reassurance, I guess. Maybe ask current grad students there too, to see if they're happy with their funding?

 

There was some discussion of this in an , too, if that helps.