Living expenses

[OooohhhSparkles]

So how does anyone SURVIVE grad school without being a literal hobo?

I am freaking out. I will have to take loans out for tuition and my research assistantship will be going toward my tuition as well. I REALLY do not want to take out loans just to live!

Even if I transfer my current job in retail, I'll only be able to make ~$100/wk if I work 10 hours on top of school and research.

Are more loans the only way? Should I have only applied somewhere who would have covered more/given more financial aid?

I have been stressing so much because tuition is $24k because I'm out of state. And I already have so much debt from undergrad!

Can anyone tell me what they've done to defer costs or survive the living expenses of grad school?

[Warelin]

These are general tips:
1. Living with Roommates help to cut down expenses dramatically.
2. Some schools offer tuition waivers and a living stipend. Some schools that offer living stipends won't allow you to work outside the university.
3. Some schools waive your out of state tuition so you only have to pay the in state tuition.
4. There are lots of events hosted by colleges which have free food. Use them wisely.

[sjoh197]

A lot of unis that give you an RA or a TA also offer out of state tuition waivers. Ask your department about this. Are you going for a Masters or a Phd? Is the 24k per year? Per semester? Total? Because longterm costs could make it more worthwhile to reapply elsewhere for more aide. 

Warelin's advice for roommates and free food are always good

[maelia8]

1) Rather than going out to eat, cook big-batch meals once or twice a week and make at least 6 servings, then freeze them in lunch-sized tupperware and defrost for meals. It will save you a LOT of money on eating out. Also, never, ever go out for alcohol - only buy your own and drink at home, it's much cheaper.

2) Make sure you take full advantage of any discounts that your school/area offers on public transportation for students, and make use of that. Only use your car (if you have one) when you absolutely have to. Stay on a "family" insurance plan with multiple cars in it to save money on car insurance.

3) Right when you get your paycheck, put 10% of that money in a savings account where you never see it. Quarterly, put 1/3 of the money in a retirement account (can also be done automatically), use 1/3 to make a payment towards your student loans, and save the last 1/3 for emergencies. You never know when you'll need it.

4) Don't use air conditioning or heating unless absolutely necessary, and try to use fans or space heaters if you can as they use less electricity and will lower your bill. 

5) If you have gov't loans, work on getting them deferred IMMEDIATELY when you start grad school to save on rising interest. While loans are deferred, make payments only towards unsubsidized/high interest rate loans with a rate of 6% or more.

[JaySK]

Actually it's one of my primary concerns as well. How much does a TA job pay? 

[Warelin]

On 9/6/2016 at 4:08 AM, JaySK said:

Actually it's one of my primary concerns as well. How much does a TA job pay? 

That varies dramatically depending on the school and program. Some schools waive tuition.

[JaySK]

On 9/6/2016 at 6:37 AM, Warelin said:

That varies dramatically depending on the school and program. Some schools waive tuition.

You mean a TA practically gets a tuition fund(though not the living expenses)? Can you tell me more, please? I'm a non-US citizen from a third world and the studies I'm applying for has almost no connection to the academia at my country. Therefore it was really hard to get any information in regards to not only the field itself but also MA in the US. Now I feel like I've got myself a lifeline.

[pro Augustis]

24 minutes ago, JaySK said:

You mean a TA practically gets a tuition fund(though not the living expenses)? Can you tell me more, please? I'm a non-US citizen from a third world and the studies I'm applying for has almost no connection to the academia at my country. Therefore it was really hard to get any information in regards to not only the field itself but also MA in the US. Now I feel like I've got myself a lifeline.

It varies so much by school that I don't think that generalizations are possible. In my own case, my TAship involves a tuition remission and a sum of money to live off of. Some of the schools I applied to offered sums for TAships that were, however, more token than survivable. 

[Warelin]

On 9/6/2016 at 8:53 AM, JaySK said:

You mean a TA practically gets a tuition fund(though not the living expenses)? Can you tell me more, please? I'm a non-US citizen from a third world and the studies I'm applying for has almost no connection to the academia at my country. Therefore it was really hard to get any information in regards to not only the field itself but also MA in the US. Now I feel like I've got myself a lifeline.

As @pro Augustis stated, generalizations aren't really possible given the wide range. Sciences generally pay more than humanities. But even humanities get paid differently depending on the department. 

[klader]

I get paid rather handsomely for an MA student, but I also had to pay for my own health insurance and my own student fees, so I suppose it evens out.

I haven't gotten a full paycheck yet, but I got about a half check and that basically covered my rent, utilities, and food. I'm guilty of going out with my cohort probably too frequently, so I know that doesn't help.

My one tip for any grad student is go WORK YOUR BUTT OFF THE SUMMER BEFORE YOUR START so that you can have a cushion. I didn't realize how expensive moving costs and health insurance and car repairs and such would be - I paid probably like 4k before I even got my first paycheck. I'm fortunate to have some savings to dip into because I've slaved away every summer like forever.

If you can't save up enough money, though, don't be afraid to take out a loan. It's better than credit card debt, and you deserve to live more comfortably and not worry about how you're going to afford dinner the next day.

I second cooking yourself, too. Sometimes simple meals can work - I used up a taco kit last week, for example, and, including the costs of the kit and meat and everything, it broke down to about $0.77 a taco. You can't even buy it at Taco Bell for that! Rice is always a cheap staple, as is canned food. There's also free food around campus - my department has thus far given us like 3 free lunches and let us take home leftovers, my writing center gave us dinner once and the director always buys us snacks, etc. So, while small, that helps you don't have to go buy a $10 bagel from the coffee shop or something. And my department has a coffee pot and coffee, so you can save some $ and get your cup of Joe there instead of Starbucks 

[spectastic]

I plan to go to vegas every couple of weeks to count cards at the black jack tables. anyone want to be my spotter? 70/30 split

[spectastic]

that goes for debt as well

[spectastic]

to save money, I never buy alcohol. either I completely abstain from it, or I just make liquor by making 1:1 ethanol:nanopure water from our squeeze bottles in the lab.