Is it okay to ask the university to cover my airfare if I'm coming from a Third World country?

[cabraloca]

So basically, I got accepted into my dream school + dream program. They are offering full tuition remission, healthcare + a monthly stipend thru TAships which are enough to get by. However, the first check comes in October and I need to be there by mid-August, get me a new laptop, books and school supplies, as well as pay for a security deposit + two months of rent & food before I see their money. I've figured I will need around 5k to start graduate school.

The program I've been accepted to is Gender and Women's Studies. Most of my work and research has been volunteer work and organizing for a very young collective of queer & trans people so money is not a plenty-- is it okay to ask them if they could cover my airfare for the beginning of the school year? Or is that completely inappropiate, unthought of, and I should just open up a GoFundMe instead and sell my body?

Please let me know if you have any experiences similar to these. I have a phone interview to set the details to my move to the US next week so I really want to have my thoughts organized by then.

[TheWalkingGrad]

Congrats on being accepted to your dream program!

So, I haven't done this, so take it with a grain of salt. I would say it doesn't hurt to try, depending on how you word it. I would go with something along the lines of "Is there any funding available to help international students settling in?". One of the schools that accepted me offered USD 2,000 to help me move.

You could also look into starting a GoFundMe or something like that if the answer is negative.

Good luck!

[Elchorro]

Hi Cabraloca,

I think it is completely acceptable. Just be honest about it and they may well be in a position to give you more funding, or at the very least pay for you travel. If you read this forum you will find plenty of stories of people successfully asking for more funds in general, or for funds for specific purposes. Your case is definitely justified.  I am also an international student from a poorer country with no access to debt. I explained this to one of the school I got into and they were able to significantly improve their offer, which made it competitive financially.  

Good luck!

[MathCat]

I agree with the previous posters, but also want to mention that it's not uncommon for departments (or schools) to have loan programs for grad students. In my department, you can get paid a portion of your wages in advance (usually either to help move or to make up for choosing not to teach during the summer), and pay it back by a reduction in your future pay (exact form can be negotiated - e.g. skip a payment or just reduce subsequent payments). So you could also ask about this. I think @TheWalkingGrad's suggested phrasing would probably include this.

[cabraloca]

Just to let you know, I asked today and I found out that if your university is a public university (like mine), the State is not allowed to offer grad students funding for this, unless they are paying for your airfare for you to come do research early or hire you early, which never typically happens for a first-year.

So I will be setting up my GoFundMe page soon x)

[kaufdichglücklich]

Can you contact your department individually to see if there is travel funding you can apply for there? You might be surprised.