Where can I afford living?

[DeleteMePlease]

Hi,

 

as far as I've read, each university pays their Ph.D. students around 2000dollars. While I've looked for a school/researcher that fits my interests I've looked at schools like NYU, UCSD or UCLA. Both seem good schools but I wonder if I could afford living in such cities.

I don't go out that much and don't expect to during my time as a Ph.D. student, but I want to afford visiting my family at least once a year. Also living in LA from what I've read, not having a car can be a problem.

 

What do you guys think. I am especially interested in people going to these schools. How much do you pay for rent? Can you afford "luxury" like going out or eating out once in a while?

 

Thanks!

Edited June 7, 2013 by GermanStudent

[Nuya]

Although aiming for a degree in a different field than computer science:

I have been wondering the same thing. I went about choosing the schools to apply to by finding schools that fit well first and then checking how the cost of living in those areas is. I checked those things mostly by visiting sites where one can find apartments for rent or checking the schools off campus housing sites. There you can get an idea of how much the basics cost (like rent).

Maybe you should make a list of the main expenses that you will have and that you cannot reduce (or dont want to reduce). Check university websites for their exact financial plans (like do you have to pay for your own health care or is it included in the waiver, how much does the healthcare cost and what is included, what other fees do you need to pay [always make sure to ccheck the international students version of those fees] and so on)

Write down how much guaranteed funding the school offers (including free health care if applicable), write down average estimates for your expenses (minimum and average) and then see whether or not you are left with any wriggle room at all, or whether your expenses are higher than the funding. and so on, well you probably know all that anyways, but i just wanted to emphazise not to forget any expenses and to remember checking for international students (fees and so on). Thus the recommendation to make a list^^

any specifics or details on living conditions in those areas of course i am the wrong person to ask

But would be very interested in information from anyone on those questions as well

Edited June 7, 2013 by Nuya

[compiler_guy]

Hi,

 

as far as I've read, each university pays their Ph.D. students around 2000dollars. While I've looked for a school/researcher that fits my interests I've looked at schools like NYU, UCSD or UCLA. Both seem good schools but I wonder if I could afford living in such cities.

The universities you listed are in notoriously expensive cities. Luckily, not all the best universities in the USA are in high-income,expensive areas.

 

Don't be alarmed by the relatively low stipend - a lot of computer science graduate students manage their expenses, and complete their PhD without debt. You could always apply for work at internships in the summer, apply for financial aid and maybe even get an external fellowship. Also it might be wise to save some money before starting the graduate program.

[DeleteMePlease]

Thanks for the infos. I think its pretty hard for a foreign applicant to get an external stipend. I know there is a Fulbright program especially for Germans that come to the US, but afaik getting into the program is really competitive.

 

I don't have the urge to live in a big city anyways. Guess I will focus on schools at cheaper locations like Duke.

Edited June 15, 2013 by GermanStudent

[DeleteMePlease]

Another thing:

I suppose I have to pay taxes on the tuition? How much should I expect? I suppose it differs from state to state...

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

I'm from Brooklyn. That area is insanely expensive. You don't need a car, which is a plus over LA. Cars can get expensive with gas, insurance, maintenance, etc. Last time I lived there, monthly metro passes were I think $81. I heard they're around $100 now. Someone here probably knows. Brooklyn and especially Manhattan are wicked expensive. You could probably live in the projects in the South Bronx if you don't mind a long time to commute and dodging a bullet here and there. 

[DeleteMePlease]

Has anybody some insights on the funding at UofToronto? I somewhere read 26k but the person had to pay tuition. Also not sure if that included the summer months...

[froup]

For Fall 2013 Computer Science admissions UoT offered me $27.5k (for 12 month period) that includes $23k RA and $4.5k TA. As an international student I would need to pay a total of $18k tuition fees, however the university provided an additional $10k (on top of $27.5) that directly covers part of these tuition fees (so I only have to pay $8k from my $27.5k package).

Edited June 19, 2013 by froup

[DeleteMePlease]

Thanks for the insight.

 

So, you would end up with around 1600$ per month. Doesn't sound that much for a (probably?) expensive city like Toronto.

 

Does UofT offer affordable housing for Grad students?

Edited June 19, 2013 by GermanStudent

[TakeruK]

Unfortunately, grad students don't get paid very much in North America. In expensive cities, rent is the largest expense and many people manage this by sharing a multiple bedroom apartment with others. I live near LA now, and if you share, your part of the rent and utilities would come to about $800 per month, on average. If you have a partner (i.e. two incomes) then you can probably afford to have a 1 bedroom apartment to yourself. Most of my grad student friends in expensive cities (Vancouver, Toronto, etc.) do this too. Overall, I still think grad students should be paid more for the work that we do, but in most cases, at least in the sciences, the stipend is enough to support the basic necessities for one person. Getting a car here usually takes a year or two of saving up and it's unlikely that you will leave grad school with any savings built up. In my opinion, I think our stipends should be enough to allow us to live comfortably and save up for the future, instead of having to just worry about paying the current bills!