'Normal' Range of Funding for Soc PhDs?

[Katastrophe]

Hi everyone!

 

As we move through the application process I have been noticing that the schools I've applied to have vastly different levels of funding and whatnot. Does anyone know of a source for finding out funding averages or do you just have some general knowledge? I am trying to put everything into some sort of context, but I am really not sure where to start! I know things are adjusted for cost of living and whatnot, but still...

 

Any help is appreciated!

 

EDIT: Whoops. I just noticed there is a thread similar to this already. Not using my brain yet this morning.

Edited February 8, 2016 by Katastrophe

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

From my experience, and from others I know in other programs, the range is usually about 19k-30k. The UC system, though it is mostly elite, has bad funding (around 22k) whereas Michigan and Yale are doing around 29k-33k. 

[oakoak]

My funding package says $XY,000 "before taxes." Should I be subtracting the income tax only (that varies from state to state), or is there any other tax I should take into account (like a federal tax maybe)?

Sorry for my utter ignorance, international student here.

[KLPLANTER]

Okay so the two biggest things to understand about your funding package is 1)  whether or not the package offered includes the tuition waiver and 2) whether it's a 9 or 12 month offer.

(Context: I'm transferring from one phD program to another.)

At my current program, my total funding package is 24k a year. Sounds nice, especially with a way-low cost of living. However, this package includes the value of my tuition waiver, which is ~6K a semester, 12k a year. My current funding package is also only for 9 months. Summer funding is optional and competitive among grad students. So 24k - 12k = ~12k, to split over 9 months. My cash in hand is about $1,300.00 a month. $12,000 of my contract offer is basically ghost money. It's there and it's mine, but it's actually a tuition waiver.

This is not always how it works. One of the schools I'm interested in offers 19k over 9 months + tuition waiver. That means 19k cash in hand AND you don't have any tuition costs. 

School A offers you a contract at 30k and school B offers you 15k. The actual value in terms of living wages can be very different if school A's offer is 30k and tuition is $10,000 a semester and the contract assumes the waiver will come out of that contract cost. School B contracts at 15k and that doesn't include the tuition waiver, it's just 15k over 9 months. Throw in school C, which offers you 14k cash over 9 months, a tuition waiver, and guarantees 3k summer funding for your first three years....you have to weigh the options!!!!

[krispykreme]

some top 20 schools (public) gave prelim info on guaranteed funding of 16k for 9 months with opportunities for summer funding...

[MaxWeberHasAPosse]

I never heard of a good phd program including tuition in their stipend offer. That's crazy. In my current program we get 19k-20k for 9 months with a tuition waver and health insurance.

[KLPLANTER]

21 minutes ago, oakoak said:

My funding package says $XY,000 "before taxes." Should I be subtracting the income tax only (that varies from state to state), or is there any other tax I should take into account (like a federal tax maybe)?

Sorry for my utter ignorance, international student here.

Your funding package will likely NOT put you above the federal poverty line, which means that you'll have various state and federal taxes taken out each pay period (of course) but you'll end up getting almost everything back as a fat check at tax time. Make sure you file though!

[KLPLANTER]

10 minutes ago, MaxWeberHasAPosse said:

I never heard of a good phd program including tuition in their stipend offer. That's crazy. In my current program we get 19k-20k for 9 months with a tuition waver and health insurance.

It happens and has nothing to do with good or not good program. It has to do with how not-for-profit organizations abide by local and state-level laws for distributing money and also how local bureaucratic systems are designed.

[Katastrophe]

This has been really really helpful. Thanks to everyone who has chimed in!

[123letsgo]

I just got my funding package from Davis, and just to add to the discussion, the details are as follows:

19k for 3 quarters + 4k for summer fellowship (so approximately 23k in-pocket) + tuition and fees covered = approx. 41k for the first year.  The funding is guaranteed from 5 years, but the various sources could vary (between TA ships, Research Fellowships, readerships, etc.) and is contingent on satisfactory progress towards the degree.

Since this is the only program I've been accepted to so far (still waiting on the rest of my applications to notify me, so crossing fingers!) I have nothing to compare it to.  Anyone care to chime in?

[KimchiRamen]

Hey! I found this link in an old post. It's a database that maintains stipend information from many different users. I find it really helpful! Hope you and others who are interested can make use of it too.

https://gradpay.herokuapp.com/results/table/

Except I could have sworn there is another website that I came across with similar information but more robust user input. If someone else knows of another website out there like this, please share! 

Edit: Ah! Found it! Here is the other website!

http://www.phdstipends.com/results

 

Edited February 10, 2016 by KimchiRamen

[aresh1]

8 hours ago, 123letsgo said:

I just got my funding package from Davis, and just to add to the discussion, the details are as follows:

19k for 3 quarters + 4k for summer fellowship (so approximately 23k in-pocket) + tuition and fees covered = approx. 41k for the first year.  The funding is guaranteed from 5 years, but the various sources could vary (between TA ships, Research Fellowships, readerships, etc.) and is contingent on satisfactory progress towards the degree.

Since this is the only program I've been accepted to so far (still waiting on the rest of my applications to notify me, so crossing fingers!) I have nothing to compare it to.  Anyone care to chime in?

I got the same funding package from Davis, but I want to add that there are also a number of fellowships that we apply for/are applied for on our behalf that could bump up the total 23k number. 

[any5]

The question I guess how much should/does the financial incentive outweigh rank/fit.. especially over 5 years.

Is $50,000+ cumulative "worth" more than attending a top 5 program vs a top 20 program?

(I am not sure the answer to this for myself, but I guess it varies by individual financial situation)

[rising_star]

18 minutes ago, any5 said:

The question I guess how much should/does the financial incentive outweigh rank/fit.. especially over 5 years.

Is $50,000+ cumulative "worth" more than attending a top 5 program vs a top 20 program?

(I am not sure the answer to this for myself, but I guess it varies by individual financial situation)

I picked fit over money. It was a difference of probably ~$36K over the course of my PhD but, to me, it was worth it. I got to work with the best POI for my research and having less institutional funding made me more of a go-getter when it came to applying for external funding.

[krispykreme]

16 hours ago, 123letsgo said:

I just got my funding package from Davis, and just to add to the discussion, the details are as follows:

19k for 3 quarters + 4k for summer fellowship (so approximately 23k in-pocket) + tuition and fees covered = approx. 41k for the first year.  The funding is guaranteed from 5 years, but the various sources could vary (between TA ships, Research Fellowships, readerships, etc.) and is contingent on satisfactory progress towards the degree.

Since this is the only program I've been accepted to so far (still waiting on the rest of my applications to notify me, so crossing fingers!) I have nothing to compare it to.  Anyone care to chime in?

i got the same thing but "contingent on continued funding from the university" concerned me. Also, is 19k enough to live by for Davis, in the event summer RA or TA job does not happen after Year 1? 

[gingin6789]

24 minutes ago, krispykreme said:

i got the same thing but "contingent on continued funding from the university" concerned me. Also, is 19k enough to live by for Davis, in the event summer RA or TA job does not happen after Year 1? 

I think they're required to say that. Kinda like "oh you get your funding for 5 years contingent on satisfactory performance." just kinda like a requirement to say, or that's how it sounded to me. 

Did you other Davis folks get nominated for any other fellowships? Keep those in mind, too. 

PS, I have a friend who's currently in the PhD program. Let me know if you want me to pass on any questions. She'll likely know about summer funding stuff too. 

Part of why I applied was because she was very happy with the program, funding, everything. 

Edited February 11, 2016 by gingin6789

[krispykreme]

1 hour ago, gingin6789 said:

I think they're required to say that. Kinda like "oh you get your funding for 5 years contingent on satisfactory performance." just kinda like a requirement to say, or that's how it sounded to me. 

Did you other Davis folks get nominated for any other fellowships? Keep those in mind, too. 

PS, I have a friend who's currently in the PhD program. Let me know if you want me to pass on any questions. She'll likely know about summer funding stuff too. 

Part of why I applied was because she was very happy with the program, funding, everything. 

Thanks for clarifying!! i really appreciate it. can she live without struggling? lol i don't want to count my pennies every time i need to buy a cup of coffee bc i know grad school will involve lots of coffee.... 

ALSO, does stipend include tuition and fees? i did not really understand that portion of the letter 

Lastly, are summer RA/TA positions generally accessible to students? I am concerned for years 2,3,4,5

[gingin6789]

Just now, krispykreme said:

Thanks for clarifying!! i really appreciate it. can she live without struggling? lol i don't want to count my pennies every time i need to buy a cup of coffee bc i know grad school will involve lots of coffee.... 

ALSO, does stipend include tuition and fees? i did not really understand that portion of the letter 

Lastly, are summer RA/TA positions generally accessible to students? I am concerned for years 2,3,4,5

She said the stipend is livable, especially if you live closer to Sacramento and have a roommate. But I can ask her more about that!

Stipend is separate from tuition and fees, in that you receive a full tuition and fee waiver, AND you get paid on top of that.

As for the last question, I'll ask her.

and a question for YOU, friend, is: will you be at the visitation day?? If so, I'm excited to meet you!

[krispykreme]

2 minutes ago, gingin6789 said:

She said the stipend is livable, especially if you live closer to Sacramento and have a roommate. But I can ask her more about that!

Stipend is separate from tuition and fees, in that you receive a full tuition and fee waiver, AND you get paid on top of that.

As for the last question, I'll ask her.

and a question for YOU, friend, is: will you be at the visitation day?? If so, I'm excited to meet you!

my mushy brain meant-- does stipend include health insurance and fees-- woops! 

I am not sure, it is one day and $300 does not fully cover flight from the east coast   if you do, pretty please do share your impression of the campus, people, davis!

[gingin6789]

23 minutes ago, krispykreme said:

my mushy brain meant-- does stipend include health insurance and fees-- woops! 

I am not sure, it is one day and $300 does not fully cover flight from the east coast   if you do, pretty please do share your impression of the campus, people, davis!

Health insurance is covered as part of the "tuition & fees" section listed on our award letter. So, coverage is separate from our stipend, meaning health insurance costs are COVERED and will NOT be taken from our stipend.

Sorry for the caps, I just wanted to phrase it in a clear way, so caps is for emphasis, not anger haha.

I've just gotta go visit. I need to visit everywhere I've been accepted in order to make the best decision ... I'm coming from the east coast, too, so the flight will be pretty salty, but I'll try to dip into my meager savings haha!

EDIT: Just heard back from my friend about summer funding. You've gotta save during the academic year or look for other funding during the summer. Here are some examples provided: "There is a small grant for research up to $1000 ... You can apply for readerships but that only provides about $1800 if you do it for both summer sessions. If you have a master's or are ABD you can apply to teach classes in the summer and that's much more money."

So, the summer can be tricky. However, she says the stipend is indeed livable, especially in Sacramento or the other smaller areas around Davis like woodland and Dixon, which are cheaper. She also says "You won't be living in luxury but it's doable for a single person without kids."

Hope this helps!

Edited February 11, 2016 by gingin6789
Funding stuff

[krispykreme]

24 minutes ago, gingin6789 said:

Health insurance is covered as part of the "tuition & fees" section listed on our award letter. So, coverage is separate from our stipend, meaning health insurance costs are COVERED and will NOT be taken from our stipend.

Sorry for the caps, I just wanted to phrase it in a clear way, so caps is for emphasis, not anger haha.

I've just gotta go visit. I need to visit everywhere I've been accepted in order to make the best decision ... I'm coming from the east coast, too, so the flight will be pretty salty, but I'll try to dip into my meager savings haha!

EDIT: Just heard back from my friend about summer funding. You've gotta save during the academic year or look for other funding during the summer. Here are some examples provided: "There is a small grant for research up to $1000 ... You can apply for readerships but that only provides about $1800 if you do it for both summer sessions. If you have a master's or are ABD you can apply to teach classes in the summer and that's much more money."

So, the summer can be tricky. However, she says the stipend is indeed livable, especially in Sacramento or the other smaller areas around Davis like woodland and Dixon, which are cheaper. She also says "You won't be living in luxury but it's doable for a single person without kids."

Hope this helps!

SO helpful!!! Capital letters to emphasize the quantity and quality of your helpful reply. Thank you gingin, i hope you enjoy the trip and maybe get to stay an extra few days to make it even more worthwhile

[gingin6789]

Just now, krispykreme said:

SO helpful!!! Capital letters to emphasize the quantity and quality of your helpful reply. Thank you gingin, i hope you enjoy the trip and maybe get to stay an extra few days to make it even more worthwhile

I'm so glad you think so! No problem, krispy! I'll probably stay til Saturday!

[123letsgo]

Does anyone know what the take home pay would be on that Davis Stipend?  I know the summer fellowship isn't taxed, but since the ta-ing is considered employment, that portion is.

Also to answer the question from above, I got nominated for the ECR and other internal grad student fellowships.  They said that they'll find out the results from that early-March.

[rising_star]

Even if they aren't taking taxes out of the summer fellowship, you may still owe taxes (both state and federal) on that money... Just something to keep in mind.

There are calculators you can use online to figure out what your take-home pay would be. It's hard to say without knowing the particulars of your individual situation (like how you file your taxes, if you have any dependents, etc.).

[Epsius]

Hey guys, I got into the Soc Ph.D. at Davis as well, and had a call with the admissions chair last night to clear up some details. I haven't seen it mentioned so I wanted to bring up the out of state supplementary tuition. If it wasn't otherwise waived on your letter, people from out of state have to pay around $15k extra the first year, until they get their California residency. I was told that as people reject offers, some money might be moved to other people to help cover that first year, so keep that in mind, both for accepting, or letting the school know if you don't plan to attend so those funds can be moved to help someone else.

 

I'm planing on attending visit day as well, and maybe going a week early to make the most of the flight.