Funding Question

[freudismyfriend]

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When applying to clinical phD programs, it's not unreasonable to be under the assumption that doctoral students will be given full tuition remission and assistantship, right? Some of the programs I'm looking at, such as UNC Greensboro, don't seem to be guaranteeing funding--they say things like "typically are awarded assistantships." Is this their way of saying you will most likely get funding but if you don't, don't be surprised? Should I be making sure my schools explicitly state guaranteed funding? Thanks!

 

[irish80122]

Don't assume anything when it comes to money! A lot of programs do offer full-funding, but I did apply to several where I found they only did tuition waivers, and some didn't even do full tuition waivers (and these are PhD programs, mind you). Even when programs do offer funding the funding ranges! I interviewed at a school that offered none all the way up to one that offered 19k and I have heard Arkansas has fellowships far higher than that!

While I wouldn't worry about funding too much at this point, do keep it in mind and don't assume! First try to find a good research match where you will be happy, then worry about the funding. If you don't have a good match, the funding won't matter because you won't get offers, so start there. Just my $.02

 

[Ollie123]

Agree with irish. Definitely don't make assumptions, but also don't rule out schools just because they don't expressly guarantee funding.

For one, I believe state schools legally cannot guarantee funding because technically, the state could rip the budget out from under them at any moment. At least that is the case here. So all the information says "Funding isn't guaranteed" but not once has there been someone who wanted funding and didn't get it.

This is the sort of thing you should ask about at interviews (or sooner if the opportunity comes up). I immediately ruled out any schools that didn't offer waivers/stipend, but didn't care about the guarantees. I ended up at a school that isn't "technically" full waiver (92%), but close enough as makes no difference, especially since cost of living isn't bad out here.

 

[JockNerd]

Yeah, don't assume. One or two of place places I applied to were listed as giving 100% tuition waivers in the Insider's Guide, but when I got an interview I found out it was only 50%. Could have used that application elsewhere if I'd known that....

I think Ollie is right about the legal stuff, but I'd actually check out funding before you apply, especially if it's a significant concern (it was for me). Many programs list the percentage of students who have tuition waivers and assistanceships in their full disclosure data online. Otherwise, funding is something that's it's totally fine to ask a lot about--you might mention it in an e-mail to your POI or the program director. It's important, so you shouldn't feel shy about asking!