Input - how's my approach to asking for more funding?

[MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou]

Hey there! My apologies for any repeat asking on this forum, but I'm seeking input on my approach to requesting additional funding. For backstory, I was accepted to a PhD program in northern CA with guaranteed funding for three years, with an additional two years presuming "normal" progression through the program. The financial offer I received (full tuition remission, including healthcare, and a $20k stipend for 9 months of the year, which includes a TAship and fellowship) is overall a viable offer, and I'm grateful to have received it. My main concerns are that living in CA is expensive, and as stipends can be taxed, that it will be less viable after taxes. The total award th school gave me this year is roughly $2k less than their calculated graduate student budget.

I certainly don't want to come off as ungrateful, and want to handle this delicately. This is my only acceptance thus far, so comparing other offers to theirs isn't an option. My visiting day for the school is next Monday. I was thinking maybe I'd wait until after I'd met the graduate director in person (are they the right person to talk to about this matter?), then email her, thank her for the day, and phrase my questions along the line of "the offer I received is very generous, but I am concerned about being able to focus on my studies what with the high cost of living in the Bay Area, what I might have to pay in taxes on my stipend, etc. Can you recommend additional internal/external sources of funding for which I might qualify/apply?"

I'm honestly nervous about just calling her up or emailing her about this before I put a face to my name, as well as generally looking ungrateful or even losing my offer.  I really want to accept the offer (I'm waiting for a response from two other schools, but those are likely rejections), but I have to contribute to a household, and I'm concerned it won't be enough. I plan to ask about summer funding/ability to work outside of school on visiting day, but I don't know if I should ask about my funding offer specifically NOW, or later.

i appreciate your advice - thank you! (And wow, did this turn out to be long)

[TakeruK]

I think your approach here is good but I would say that you should actually ask about summer funding,  ability to work outside of school and also about additional internal/external sources of funding all during your face-to-face meeting. I always fear asking for things in email because if I write too little then terseness might sound rude but if I write too much then it's more info than necessary. I feel that I can best demonstrate my gratefulness but also my need for more funding in an in-person meeting.

That said, I don't think you should explicitly ask for more money during the in-person visit. Just ask about the ways one might get more funding, as suggested above. Maybe a week later, you can make a specific request for more funding. I think that in general, asking sooner is better than later, because if there is indeed a source for more funding, it will eventually be depleted. You should only move onto this step though when you are sure that you will take this offer if they increase your funding (i.e. it's really bad to ask for more money, they approve it and then you still go elsewhere).

I think pointing out that your funding package is $2k less than their graduate student budget is your strongest argument for more funding. So maybe that should be the number you ask for. I am not sure how they will view your need to contribute to a household. I think this is a very valid concern for an applicant to have but my experience with graduate programs shows that they don't really feel the same way. How much you ask for would depend on whether or not you would still take this offer if they did not approve any funding increase.

 

[MaytheSchwartzBeWithYou]

17 hours ago, TakeruK said:

I think your approach here is good but I would say that you should actually ask about summer funding,  ability to work outside of school and also about additional internal/external sources of funding all during your face-to-face meeting. I always fear asking for things in email because if I write too little then terseness might sound rude but if I write too much then it's more info than necessary. I feel that I can best demonstrate my gratefulness but also my need for more funding in an in-person meeting.

That said, I don't think you should explicitly ask for more money during the in-person visit. Just ask about the ways one might get more funding, as suggested above. Maybe a week later, you can make a specific request for more funding. I think that in general, asking sooner is better than later, because if there is indeed a source for more funding, it will eventually be depleted. You should only move onto this step though when you are sure that you will take this offer if they increase your funding (i.e. it's really bad to ask for more money, they approve it and then you still go elsewhere).

I think pointing out that your funding package is $2k less than their graduate student budget is your strongest argument for more funding. So maybe that should be the number you ask for. I am not sure how they will view your need to contribute to a household. I think this is a very valid concern for an applicant to have but my experience with graduate programs shows that they don't really feel the same way. How much you ask for would depend on whether or not you would still take this offer if they did not approve any funding increase.

 

Thanks, Takeru - as usual, your advice is sound. Yeah, I know the "household contribution" thing may not be super compelling to them - I suppose that's my way of saying I'm not sure the stipend is enough to live on (but since I have an employed spouse, it's harder to argue that). 

As I said in my original post, I'm still waiting on two schools, though I'm pretty sure they are rejections at this point. I just want to have all of my options on the table before I make a choice. I think your "General now, specific later" approach is good - thanks again! :-)

[TakeruK]

Good luck!!