Funding through assistantship?

[jlt646]

Hi everyone! I was recently offered funding in the form of an assistantship. I noticed that it isn't necessarily renewable for the following years, though, which is kind of terrifying. Do any of you have experience navigating the world of doctoral funding that isn't guaranteed? Have your assistantships been renewed every year? Thanks!

[klader]

Does it directly say that it isn't renewable? I have a couple offers that say the assistantships are contingent on my academic performance. Does your offer say something along those lines, too, or is it different?

[jlt646]

On 2/28/2016 at 4:20 PM, klader said:

Does it directly say that it isn't renewable? I have a couple offers that say the assistantships are contingent on my academic performance. Does your offer say something along those lines, too, or is it different?

The GA is renewable contingent on performance but also on the availability of the position, so it's definitely not guaranteed. 

It's terrifying! I just got an email about applying for funding from outside sources because funding in the department is really limited, and I'm just getting more and more anxious.

[klader]

3 hours ago, jlt646 said:

The GA is renewable contingent on performance but also on the availability of the position, so it's definitely not guaranteed. 

It's terrifying! I just got an email about applying for funding from outside sources because funding in the department is really limited, and I'm just getting more and more anxious.

Oh no! That must not be a good feeling... Would the funding from outside sources be just a one time thing, or does that have the potential to be guaranteed?

If it can't be guaranteed, then I would really and stop and think about your options as it relates to attending this school. It would be horrible to be two years into your PhD and then all of a sudden have no funding because the department ran out. Do you have any other offers? (I see that your signature has one "pending", so are you still waiting to hear back from them?)

[GeoDUDE!]

Do not do a PhD without at least 5 years of guaranteed funding. 

[jlt646]

1 hour ago, klader said:

Oh no! That must not be a good feeling... Would the funding from outside sources be just a one time thing, or does that have the potential to be guaranteed?

If it can't be guaranteed, then I would really and stop and think about your options as it relates to attending this school. It would be horrible to be two years into your PhD and then all of a sudden have no funding because the department ran out. Do you have any other offers? (I see that your signature has one "pending", so are you still waiting to hear back from them?)

I hear that. Guaranteed full five year funding isn't necessarily the norm in education and related fields. After asking a current student in the program, what I'm hearing is that everyone is always encouraged to seek outside funding, and that everyone in the program gets the "we don't have a lot of funding!" emails....and then the funding always comes through eventually. It's just very stressful for the months leading up to the decisions. 

I was accepted to a master's instead of a PhD at one school, which would require a completely insane loan amount, and then I'm waiting on one more. I only applied to the four, which was definitely my mistake. It's my first cycle, and I found gradcafe too late in the game. 

Edited March 1, 2016 by jlt646