PhD in the USA

sean-og3

Hello all,

I have been lucky enough to secure a PhD in the USA and will be getting tuition fees paid as well as a stipend of 14,000 dollars per annum. Although very appreciative of this offer, and I will be accpeting it, I fear I will still struggle financially over there. Loans for such studies are very difficult to get and although I could get a part time job there, the three year program is supposed to be very intensive.

Would any of you good people have any suggestions regarding additional funding opportunities? I have heard about the fulbright recently and am still looking into that. Anything else out there though?

Alternatively, I would love to hear from anyone who has, or is, completing a phd in the US? What were your experiences of it?

Thank ye very much for your help.

Sean

Black Swan

It's publish or perish for most faculty in major US universities (especially for tenure track assistant profs, and associate profs seeking promotion), consequently they are often writing grants to do research, collect, analyze, and publish peer-reviewed journal articles in their respective disciplines. If you have research skills, or can develop them, faculty will often include you in their grants to help with data collection, etc. So once you are enrolled at university, seek out faculty with such needs and collaborate.

avalon68

14000 seems very low.....does that include benefits? Because health insurance here is very expensive......almost 800 a month for me, but luckily it's covered at work. You can often apply for mini grants etc as part of collaborations etc, however, that money is unlikely to be allowed to be used for salary. Fulbright is probably the best bet, but also look into private foundations in your subject area.

sean-og3

Thanks for your reply avalon68. Yes it includes health insurance which is great of course but still is quiet low. I am lookin into other mini grants and will apply for the fulbright in the coming sept. I must look at some foundations also; I may find some help there.

avalon68

What area of the us will you be going to? 14000 may go a lot further if you are not in a major city such as Boston etc. stipends where I work are 24000 a year, for science grad students.....not sure about other subjects. As a non american you will be prohibited from applying for the vast majority of funding sources too....basically nothing federal is available to you. What is your general subject area? I ask because 3 years seems far too short for a phd over here.....and if your funding is only for 3 years then you will have a major shortfall to cover yourself when it runs out. Most people take 5 to 6 years to finish here - its notoriously longer than European phd studies.

sean-og3

I will be going to charlottesville, virginia, so not quiet as expensive as boston. The 14000will go a long but i will need maybe 4/5000 more to get by i think. It seems to be quiet common here for a phd to be 3 years; it is in the area of physical education so may not have the same academic depth as other subject areas. I think the 3 years will suffice. I hope! you are right about the funding limitations being a non us citizen too of course; i must look for other options from home!