Negotiating Funding, Help!

[ar88]

So I've applied to Comp lit PhD programs. At present I  have one official offer, one unofficial offer (which has been unofficial for 3 weeks now) and 1 waitlist (where the DGS seemed pretty optimistic about my chances. 

 

The DGS of the unofficial offer school has asked me to send him the offers I receive from other schools. Is this normal? I'm not very familiar with the system as I'm an international student. If I do send him the offer I have which has a slightly lower stipend that the stipend he mentioned in his informal offer (though it also has a lower cost of living) would this affect the stipend offer that they make negatively (i.e. would they give me less than they'd said, because the other school gave me less?)

 

 

Any advice would be appreciated. 

 

[bennoarchimboldi]

If he's mentioned a stipend to you, even informally, he isn't going to lower it. If he does, then that is not at all the program you want to go to. Keep the lower cost of living factoid in your pocket, and you can use it if there's any negotiation down the road. It does sound like they're waiting to see if the department can scrounge up any extra funds from here and there to top up stipends/ as sweeteners.