Stipend Amounts

[ck926]

Hi all,

 

I'm a first year PhD student, and have an RA position (20 hr/week). The stipend is for approximately $5000/semester, plus tuition (which is about $2,700...I qualify for in-state). Do these numbers sound correct? I'm sure a lot of things could factor in, but it just sounds a bit low to me. Don't get me wrong, I am very grateful to have any funding at all and don't mean to be a brat..these numbers just sound significantly lower than what I've heard from others on here. Thanks in advance! 

[TakeruK]

Is there two or three (or 4?) funded semesters....that is, is your annual stipend $10k/year? $15k? $20k? 

 

To me, coming from a field where stipends are generally higher, these numbers do seem low. But I've heard that stipend amounts vary a lot between fields. 

 

Another way to look at it...if a semester is 16 weeks(?) then you are working 320 hours for $5000, which is about $15.60/hr. In my field, I'd say standard RA rates are more like $20-$25/hr so I'd agree that this stipend also sounds low.

 

However, sometimes you might have other funding sources than just the RAship. Are there any fellowships or TAships you can also take on for additional pay?

[Monochrome Spring]

Agree. What is the total amount for the year that you expect for just living expenses? If it's $10-15k (which is what I'm guessing from your post), then that seems a bit low. How expensive is the area you live in? Rent here is about $600 for a studio/1bd, and I'd still find only $10k very difficult to live with.

[ck926]

Right now it is guaranteed for two semesters, for a total of $10k for this academic year (meaning fall/spring- I'm not sure about the summer of 2015, as of yet). Apartments here aren't too awful...I have one roommate and rent is $550 for each of us. But I live in an area where a car is a necessity, which is definitely a huge expense, not to mention other basic living expenses. 

 

I am considering taking on a TAship as well for additional funding, but am hesitant to take on too much my first year...I expect it to be a huge transition (I'm straight out of undergrad). I might just have to suck it up, though, not sure if living on $10k is feasible. Thanks for the feedback! 

[geographyrocks]

Let's break down the math. $5000 per semester generally means that it covers 5 months. That is $1000 a month. After taking out a generic tax amount of 20%, you're left with $800 a month. After $550 for rent (I hope that includes utilities!), you will have $250 left for everything else. I guess it's doable if you live very cheaply.

[Nerd_For_Life]

Seems low, but then again if there is not already a TA or RAship built into the funding there may be the expectation that you will take on additional work. Both of the (Canadian) schools I have done grad school at provided a stipend of around 15k (after tuition and fees) and a TAship was built into that funding package (at these schools it is expected that all grad students will TA while they work on their degree). This is in the social sciences.

[TakeruK]

$10k/year does seem low to me. Do you know how much work a TAship would add? At my MSc school, TAships came in units of 5 hours per week and pay about $40/hr, so adding a small amount of TAing can help boost your stipend. Also, if the pay is that low, I think I would be fairly strict and make sure I actually only work 20 hrs/week on my RAship and try to spend at least another 10-20 hours per week earning money another way (TAship?). That won't leave much time for coursework though.

 

Also, I don't think you need to "feel like a brat" if you complain about money. This is our job after all and it's perfectly reasonable for other employees to have legitimate complaints if their pay does not reflect the amount of work and time they put into their jobs. I think some programs still treat grad stipends as "manna from the heaven--you should be happy with what you get!!" type of attitude that is really outdated in the modern competitive job market. 

[Nrrrdgrrrl]

At my university, the stipend rates for RA/TA were just standardized to just under 15k annually, with tuition and health care also covered.  This seems reasonable, but in the Humanities, I've heard of stipends as low as 6500 annually...those aren't really expected to cover all expenses, I don't think.

 

You should approach someone in the department as ask about their policies and other options...no way to know unless you ask!