50% funding...should I take it?

[dragonage]

I'm curious to see what others have to say about this conundrum...

 

Since it is so late in the cycle, I think it's safe to say this will be my only offer this year. 

 

I have a very difficult decision to make. I can either take the offer of 50% funding, or re-apply next year and hope to get an offer that is fully funded from another school. 

 

-The pros: the school is very good, and I would be working with a well-known, respected professor in my field of interest. 

 

-The cons: the school is private (very expensive), so I would have to take out loans to essentially fund my PhD. 

 

Although I got a fellowship for 50% funding, I have been told countless times by faculty at my current university that nobody should have to pay for a PhD in research.

 

 

Thoughts? 

[hikarizx]

I am not applying for a PhD, but at one point I was considering a PhD in History. I was told by my adviser not to do it without full funding.

[iphi]

What do you mean by 50%

 

I'm curious to see what others have to say about this conundrum...

 

Since it is so late in the cycle, I think it's safe to say this will be my only offer this year. 

 

I have a very difficult decision to make. I can either take the offer of 50% funding, or re-apply next year and hope to get an offer that is fully funded from another school. 

 

Thoughts? 

 

Are you sure it means they will pay only 50% of your tuition? At most places, FULL FUNDING = 50% and it corresponds to how much you have to work. It means 20 hours/week instead of 40 hours/week.

 

So for example, I am at 50% but I am fully funded. The university pays my tuition and I get a monthly stipend.

[dragonage]

What do you mean by 50%

 

 

Are you sure it means they will pay only 50% of your tuition? At most places, FULL FUNDING = 50% and it corresponds to how much you have to work. It means 20 hours/week instead of 40 hours/week.

 

So for example, I am at 50% but I am fully funded. The university pays my tuition and I get a monthly stipend.

 

 

Sorry, let me clarify. They will pay only 50% of the tuition, with no stipend at all.

I would need to take out loans for the tuition, and then either teach outside for a small income, or take out more loans for living expenses. 

[grad_wannabe]

I agree with the advice you've already gotten - do not accept this offer. don't do a PhD unless it's fully funded, with 100% tuition remission at the very least. 

[rising_star]

DON'T DO IT!!! Take a year or two to seriously improve your application then reapply.

[dragonage]

Thanks for the input, I will probably not accept the offer. There would be another downside to accepting the offer, which is having to move very far to a place where everything costs more. It looks like it's back to the drawing board for me.

 

I do wonder how many people end up funding their own PhDs in research, though (and end up being successful)?

Those replying to this thread seem to have been successful at finding good funding packages? Anyone out there that was never successful at that, and ended up funding their own way? I have heard bad stories of people running out of funds and having to leave programs early, but I'm sure there are a few out there that were successful....?

 

Best of luck to everyone else out there!

[yellowmint]

One of my advisers went to an unfunded practice-oriented school. But she was unusually successful in securing a position in research and academia. She was an exception, not the rule.

[iphi]

Sorry, let me clarify. They will pay only 50% of the tuition, with no stipend at all.

I would need to take out loans for the tuition, and then either teach outside for a small income, or take out more loans for living expenses. 

 

I see. If that is the case then I vote no. A PhD is too long to fund yourself.

[SeanDDavies]

I was accepted into a program. I was guaranteed funding for 4 years. 20 hrs TA/RA for year 2,3,and 4 but only a very small stipend the first year (the other years' stipend isn't too great either $15k). Most of tuition is covered but not all and no health insurance. Is this unusual? Is this too low?

[rising_star]

Sean, it's hard to say whether it's too low without knowing the cost of living.

[SeanDDavies]

COL is comparatively cheap. Apartments for $800-900 for a decent size one. 

[juilletmercredi]

If years 2-4 are $15K, that means that year 1 is smaller than $15K. I think $15K in and of itself is way too low for subsistence - especially if your tuition is not covered and there is no health insurance coverage; that means you will have to buy your own - and less than that is definitely too low. Think about it - that's $1,250 a month before taxes. If housing costs $800-900/month, after that plus utilities plus food plus health insurance you will have at best no money and at worst debt every single month. And that's not even getting into how you are covering the shortfall in tuition.

 

So yes, it's too low. Whether or not its unusual depends on your field - you say you're in clinical/counseling in your profile. I would say that this is unusual at the top and mid-ranked clinical/counseling PhD programs (which usually offer a 5-year package that covers tuition, fees, health insurance, and a stipend of at least around $20K) but is more common at some of the mid-ranked and many of the lower-ranked programs in clinical/counseling. If its a PsyD, though, it's good that you got any funding at all. Either way, I don't think you should take it (unless you are deadset on a PsyD, in which case this is probably as good as its ever going to get).

[SeanDDavies]

They do offer partial tuition coverage. I believe it is around $5k per year but the tuition at the school is pretty cheap. It's not a PsyD program, it's PhD.

 

I don't know how people live on 20k a year in the first place. I thought people took out loans for most of grad school but you're saying most dont?