Late funding decisions and confusion from the university

[saurabhdixit]

I have recently got a PhD offer from Penn state university in the department of Aerospace Engineering but no information regarding funding. After sending couple of emails to my temporary adviser I was told that because of some delays, TA-ship decisions shall be late this time. I had already mentioned in my application form that I won't be accepting any offer without funding but still they gave me the offer without any funding. What should a guy or girl should do in such a situation.  Although I am still waiting for TA-ship decisions.

[Eigen]

Either wait for the funding decisions, or decline because you don't have funding. 

Not sure what advice you're looking for? If you won't accept without funding, then wait and decline if you don't get it. Or if you're just upset that they gave you an offer without funding even though you said you didn't want it, decline now?

[fuzzylogician]

Missing details: do you have other offers you're holding onto right now? Did they give you a deadline for the decision? Will you have to pay a downpayment if/when you say yes? What about funding beyond the first year, even if you do eventually have a TAship next year? 

If you don't have other offers, you lose nothing by saying yes now and rescinding later if you don't get funded, unless you have to pay a downpayment. But I would read the offer letter very carefully and ask around about funding past the first year, so you don't get stuck one year from now without funding in the middle of a degree. 

If you do have another offer, if you've accepted it, under the CGS resolution you'll need the other school's consent to accept another offer. If you have deadlines coming, let the other school know and try to work with them to get a decision in time. Not sure what more we can say here. 

[saurabhdixit]

I got one offer from another university which I have differed to spring semester. I have accepted the offer from Penn state since the gap between acceptance deadline and offer was just 15 days and I was trying different professors for funding.  I am still not sure how it works at Penn state (Aerospace Engineering), whether they give you offer with funding (if they want to fund you) or you have to contact each professor individually as I have still some more professor to ask. Also, I am hoping that one of my work is going to be published (Physical Review) in a month or so, which may increase my chances later but I will have to wait for an year.