no funding!

[ashoka]

I've been accepted to a PhD program without funding, which is awesome. Has anyone gone through this? This is probably the only school I'll be accepted to, so I was pretty committed to going. I have no debt from undergrad, so relying on loans isn't out of the question, but the thought of paying for my own doctorate kills me. I'm considering emailing

Comments

[ashoka]

Yes, I am lucky. Thank you.

[suivie]

I believe the general consensus is that you shouldn't do an unfunded PhD - besides the debt you'll incur, it means that the program isn't that thrilled about you, which won't translate into a productive departmental relationship.

I would wait to hear from other schools and talk to the current school in the meantime. Politely asking about funding should be fine. Good luck!

[curieuse]

That depends somewhat on the OP's field, I believe.

I agree that politely asking about funding options should be not only fine but expected.

Congratulations to the OP on his/her acceptance.

[ashoka]

Yeah, that was my impression, that I would be like the awkward kid at a party who'd gotten a forced invite or something. Sucks to be that kid! Thanks for your comment.

[teaganc]

I wouldn't worry so much about being treated differently in the department by either students or faculty; in my MA, most of my professors had no idea who was funded, and the students only knew if you told them.

However, personally, I would not take on the debt unless you were 100% sure that this program will get you a good job quickly afterward and easily pay back that loan. I don't know what your field is, but in my field, most PhD programs do not guarantee any job, much less a well-paying one, so I would not accept an unfunded offer.

[shaydlip]

This. Emphasis on the good job, i.e. a high-paying job.

The last thing you want after you give your twenties to graduate school is to enter your thirties unable to purchase a home because you're trying to pay off your grad school debt.

[ashoka]

Yes, jobs in my field are pretty hard to find. That's my greatest concern: I would take out loans if I were guaranteed a job, but I am most definitely not.

[sjcarpediem]

Just out of completely passive-aggression-free-curiosity : why does the thought of paying for your own education "kill you"?

[ashoka]

The thought of paying for my own education doesn't kill me; the thought of paying for a PhD kills me. Paying for undergrad seems smarter because a bachelor's almost always opens up greater job opportunity, which will pay that money back. If I can't get a job after getting a PhD, and I paid for the PhD myself, I'm sunk.

Disclaimer: yes, I'm trying to go to grad school because I love what I do. If I were independently wealthy, I would definitely throw caution to the wind and fund my graduate education myself. But I'm not.

[sjcarpediem]

I see what you're saying and that does make sense. Thnx for taking the time to explain yourself when you totally didn't have to.

Best of luck!

[canadianstudies]

Personally, I wouldn't attend a PhD program that refused to fund me. For me, grad school is a job- I expect compensation for the work I do (my university has *never* had a problem issuing a press release talking about how great they are based on something *I've* done, after all, lol!) If I were in your shoes, I would probably reapply next after having made myself more 'marketable': maybe by publishing an article, acting as an intern, something like that.

I do think it's a good idea to email the program to ask about funding options- maybe you could get work as a teaching assistant (this happened when my older brother applied to Manchester in the UK: they didn't offer him a scholarship, but he would have been able to pick up a TA. He decided, however, to attend a Canadian school that would fund him fully, and so far he's been very happy with that choice).

[ashoka]

Definitely considering taking a year off. Some time off from school does wonders, anyway. Thanks for the advice!