Would you want to know about funding averages for other universities if you could?

[TXInstrument11]

An in the psychology forums that was recently bumped contains a link to an editable datasheet with funding offers complete with dollar amounts listed. 

 

Some of the more insane entries - like Stanford at ~$40K - had me a little green around the gills, and it got me wondering what others' preferences on such information were.

 

Even though this doc ended up casting my offers in a less favorable light, I always think more information is better, but what do you guys think? 

 

Do you think the idea is too anxiety-provoking to be worth it (like this site in general, perhaps) or that annual funding fluctuations and geographic variations in cost-of-living make the data misleading? To be sure, Palo Alto is a very expensive place to live, so $40K earns less there. 

[TakeruK]

I think having nationwide averages is very important. Not just for comparing your offers, but for graduate student communities at each school to use this data to leverage their schools into adjusting stipend policies, if necessary. Whenever we want to talk to our school about increasing support for graduate student whatever (stipends, health benefits etc.), the first thing we're asked is "how do we compare to other schools?", especially if it's a financial request. So a database of national stipend averages would be great (of course, one would have to factor in cost of living, but that data is already available).

 

In my fields, most schools provide decent funding information. Many schools even have a breakdown of funding sources on their application pages. Sometimes it's not so easy to find though -- it's often found at the Graduate School website and those are usually typical funding numbers across the whole school, not just your department. But still, you get a good ballpark guess of what grad students at this school earn.

[babybird]

geographic variations in cost-of-living make the data misleading? To be sure, Palo Alto is a very expensive place to live, so $40K earns less there. 

 

I like having averages to compare, but I feel like the cost-of-living issue such an important point. For the school at which I am currently a tech in a small-medium college town, the $29k/year stipend goes a lot further than the seemingly better $34k/year stipend UCSF offers. 

 

What I wish were more accessible is information on fees and health benefits.

[TXInstrument11]

I like having averages to compare, but I feel like the cost-of-living issue such an important point. For the school at which I am currently a tech in a small-medium college town, the $29k/year stipend goes a lot further than the seemingly better $34k/year stipend UCSF offers. 

 

What I wish were more accessible is information on fees and health benefits.

Hm. Very true. Some universities make this very clear, but most don't, in my experience. 

[grad_wannabe]

I'm still not clear on what happens in the summer.

 

At one school I visited, I was told explicitly that it's not guaranteed and that students have to apply for summer funding BUT that it's very easy to get. 

 

At another school, I haven't yet gotten my funding package, but I'm pretty sure summers are not covered and I have no idea what students do. 

 

Also, at school A I was guaranteed five years of funding, but at school B only three. are the fourth and fifth years easy or difficult to get covered through assistantships?

[TXInstrument11]

I'm still not clear on what happens in the summer.

 

At one school I visited, I was told explicitly that it's not guaranteed and that students have to apply for summer funding BUT that it's very easy to get. 

 

At another school, I haven't yet gotten my funding package, but I'm pretty sure summers are not covered and I have no idea what students do. 

 

Also, at school A I was guaranteed five years of funding, but at school B only three. are the fourth and fifth years easy or difficult to get covered through assistantships?

If it were me, I would be wary of 3 year offers. At my undergrad, grad students almost got screwed over when only 2-3 years was guaranteed, but the department wanted to recruit more grad students. Funding ended up being cut sharply if not revoked for some current grad students in their 4th or 5th years even though an understanding had been reached that 4-5 year funding was expected. 

Edited March 4, 2015 by TXInstrument11

[grad_wannabe]

If it were me, I would be wary of 3 year offers. At my undergrad, grad students almost got screwed over when only 2-3 years was guaranteed, but the department wanted to recruit more grad students. Funding ended up being cut sharply if not revoked for some current grad students in their 4th or 5th years even though an understanding had been reached that 4-5 year funding was expected. 

 

I'm REALLY worried about this. the person with whom I spoke at school B (the three-year school) somewhat breezily said that there were "lots of opportunities to teach and do research, all over the university and the city at large, in the third and fourth years. we work very hard to make sure all of our students are supported, and I often receive requests from other departments which don't have grad programs that our students TA their classes."

 

is this something for which I could negotiate before accepting their offer?

[TXInstrument11]

I'm REALLY worried about this. the person with whom I spoke at school B (the three-year school) somewhat breezily said that there were "lots of opportunities to teach and do research, all over the university and the city at large, in the third and fourth years. we work very hard to make sure all of our students are supported, and I often receive requests from other departments which don't have grad programs that our students TA their classes."

 

is this something for which I could negotiate before accepting their offer?

I'm honestly not sure. I haven't negotiated any of my stuff yet. Can you track down their current and former grad students? I would keep my questions very general like, "How would you rank funding support at University B?". They may be pretty forthcoming or would at least be willing to discuss general guidelines for summer funding. I'd add some filler questions about life at the school and the program to make the quasi interview less intimidating to them. Hopefully, someone more knowledgeable will chime in. An administrator here might know.

[juilletmercredi]

I'm REALLY worried about this. the person with whom I spoke at school B (the three-year school) somewhat breezily said that there were "lots of opportunities to teach and do research, all over the university and the city at large, in the third and fourth years. we work very hard to make sure all of our students are supported, and I often receive requests from other departments which don't have grad programs that our students TA their classes." is this something for which I could negotiate before accepting their offer?

 

I would at least try. What's the worst that could happen?

FWIW I accepted a 3-year funding offer. I inquired about it and was told that students in years 4+ usually find external funding. I was given specific names of sources through which students found that funding, as well as a rough approximation of how many did. They also explained to me that so many professors had grants on which to put RAs and project coordinators. I was in a field where NIH funding is very common and funds most of the work in the field, so I knew there was money. I was also fine with the idea of leaving the program with an MA and reapplying somewhere else with better funding if I couldn't secure any. I hadn't originally intended to go straight for a PhD anyway.

 

I would ask for specifics - how are advanced students supported, what percentage of them find full support, what percentage are on partial support, are there ever students who have to leave or drop out because they can't find support? What other departments do they TA in? Can you give me examples of students who have found viable research support in years 4+ - what forms did that support take (an RA job, a job as a project coordinator, a fellowship, a grant)? What does "work hard" mean - do you actually seek out opportunities for students to get funding and maintain infrastructure that supports that (like fellowship and grant-writing workshops, professors who are willing to review drafts, etc.) or does "work hard" simply mean you think about it really hard and hope everything works out? The potential for TAing classes in a doctoral program doesn't really cut it for me, because TAing individual classes doesn't always come with a tuition waiver and also doesn't always pay a big enough stipend to cover costs.

 

I'm personally of the mindset that we shouldn't let these grad school professors and administrators get away with giving us half-answers to important questions and assuming that you're desperate, so you'll come. It's a mutual decision, and they should be forthcoming with information, and questions should be asked.

[TXInstrument11]

I'm personally of the mindset that we shouldn't let these grad school professors and administrators get away with giving us half-answers to important questions and assuming that you're desperate, so you'll come. It's a mutual decision, and they should be forthcoming with information, and questions should be asked.

Amen.

[grad_wannabe]

I would at least try. What's the worst that could happen?

FWIW I accepted a 3-year funding offer. I inquired about it ...

 

Thank you so much! I'm going to spend a few days on campus at the end of the month, these will be incredibly valuable questions to ask. 

 

And AGREED with your last sentiment. The lack of concrete funding information is frustrating, given the commitment I'm being asked to make. 

[Chiqui74]

The History subforum also has a thread with an editable spreadsheet for funding info.

 

My funding package is for 5 years but only includes 3 summers (with specific monetary amounts), which leaves me with the summer after the 1st year to fend for myself.  At the prospective student weekend I think I understood that the department does something in that summer to cover students but I could have misheard.  I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm also not reliant only on my income (I have a husband), which definitely helps my peace of mind.  I do think I will try to get some sort of funding for that summer though because we'll be in a very high cost area so every bit counts.

 

I had another offer that didn't specify summer amounts at all.

[TXInstrument11]

The History subforum also has a thread with an editable spreadsheet for funding info.

 

My funding package is for 5 years but only includes 3 summers (with specific monetary amounts), which leaves me with the summer after the 1st year to fend for myself.  At the prospective student weekend I think I understood that the department does something in that summer to cover students but I could have misheard.  I don't know what I'm going to do, but I'm also not reliant only on my income (I have a husband), which definitely helps my peace of mind.  I do think I will try to get some sort of funding for that summer though because we'll be in a very high cost area so every bit counts.

 

I had another offer that didn't specify summer amounts at all.

Yes, from what I understand, the psych forum post was actually inspired by the history forum one. I am in the same boat for summer funding. None of it is specified. 

[grad_wannabe]

Yes, from what I understand, the psych forum post was actually inspired by the history forum one. I am in the same boat for summer funding. None of it is specified. 

 

I've received my official package. 

 

Funding for three years, including summers. No work requirement for the first year, TA/RA responsibilities for years 2 + 3. Still not sure what I'm supposed to do for years 4 + 5. I have a couple meetings lined up with current students and alumni, hoping to glean some insight there.