Should first-year grad students be supported?

[cathmom]

I got my MA in German from UNC-CH. Every year they send me a letter begging me for money (not realizing that they will not get any). But I really couldn't believe the letter I got yesterday! Apparently, the schools that UNC is competing with for grad students - the letter mentions UC Berkeley, Virginia, Duke, Yale, and Harvard - offer much better financial support. They want donations so that they can offer "full, non-service support to every Carolina graduate student in his or her first year of study."

 

Are other universities really offering this??

 

Maybe this is just because of my experience - I had to work 20 hours a week in the office for my money, and the rest of the students were TAs. The dept could offer one new student full non-service support.

 

I just totally don't think this is necessary, but maybe I am so out of it I don't know.

[Daisy]

Coming from someone who worked her tail off to pay for her degree, I think this is baloney. Round file!!

 

BUT I'm a hard core believer in people growing up and supporting themselves. I don't believe in free rides to college, paid for by Mom and Dad, much less the university alumni, so maybe I'm not the right person to respond. Now if that graduate student EARNS a scholarship, great!

[unsinkable]

20 years ago, I put myself through a state university working a minimum wage job along with some scholarship money & a bit of financial aid. (My parents were dead.)

 

That isn't financial possible in many places anymore.

[Renee in NC]

I didn't realize that you could GET support for grad school that didn't involve work of some sort! Even my brainiac cousin who got her PhD at 23 had to teach and/or do research for her grad school!

 

What would be the point of having non-service awards?

[cathmom]

I guess the point is so that they can focus on study and research.

 

So, we are going to give grad students more money and have them do less? How does that compute? Who is going to teach the classes that first year grad students normally teach?

[nukeswife]

Round file!!

 

BUT I'm a hard core believer in people growing up and supporting themselves. I don't believe in free rides to college, paid for by Mom and Dad, much less the university alumni, so maybe I'm not the right person to respond. Now if that graduate student EARNS a scholarship, great!

 

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

Daisy you took the words right out of my mouth.

[cathmom]

20 years ago, I put myself through a state university working a minimum wage job along with some scholarship money & a bit of financial aid. (My parents were dead.)

 

That isn't financial possible in many places anymore.

 

At least in the language depts, traditionally, you would be offered an assistantship. You would take your classes and teach one beginning level class. For this, you would not pay tuition (or at least get in-state tuition) and some small stipend (enough to live on if you had a roommate and were careful with money). You could also work in the summer. What this letter is saying is that they want to give grad students the stipend without requiring them to do any work in exchange.

[Renee in NC]

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

 

Daisy you took the words right out of my mouth.

 

Remember, though, that these students have already earned their way into these prestigios grad school programs to start with. The support is usually a given with these programs, but I always thought the support came as a form of work (research, office, teaching, etc.)

 

It isn't like they are simply being handed something on a silver platter with no effort whatsoever.

[Jen500]

I was fully funded in grad school. This was one reason I chose the university I attended over some others. They only accepted the few students that could be fully funded. We worked very, very hard. We were expected to be on campus 7 days/week, helping with research, studying, attending class, proctoring exams. It was a hard-earned 'free ride'. In my first year I got in trouble for taking a week off for the Christmas holidays. I don't see anything wrong with financial support for hard-working grad students in rigorous programs.

[Renee in NC]

I was fully funded in grad school. This was one reason I chose the university I attended over some others. They only accepted the few students that could be fully funded. We worked very, very hard. We were expected to be on campus 7 days/week, helping with research, studying, attending class, proctoring exams. It was a hard-earned 'free ride'. In my first year I got in trouble for taking a week off for the Christmas holidays. I don't see anything wrong with financial support for hard-working grad students in rigorous programs.

 

But you were required to work in exchange - this letter is saying that nothing will be required in exchange (except going to class I assume.)

[PiCO]

Wow, what a deal. I don't know what most schools offer, but my former Uni is always hitting me up for money.

 

I know a woman who has a son who got a full scholarship for skiing. I mean come on. I would rather give my money for academic reasons than something like that. I know not everyone will agree with that, but is skiing really bringing in big bucks for the school?

 

Well, I went to college on a full athletic scholarship, and I pretty much agree with you. College sports should be played by students that are in college to learn, not semi-pro athletes.

 

The problem is football brings in a lot of money for a lot of colleges. I'm just glad colleges have to give scholarships for other sports also.

[Renee in NC]

I'm with you, silly!

 

I can't ever keep up with who is responding to whom in this format!:D

[Jen500]

But you were required to work in exchange - this letter is saying that nothing will be required in exchange (except going to class I assume.)

 

I guess I was trying to say that what we were officially required to do was much, much less than we were Expected to do. And I'm sure that every university/program would be different. It's hard to make blanket statements.

[cathmom]

Although...the more I think about this the more it makes sense. A lot of research comes from universities. And universities gain prestige in part from the students they attract. And the more prestige, the more research grants. The more prestige the better the pool of applicants.

 

Yep, that's the reasoning in the letter. I'm still trying to reconcile this with the administration that didn't want to give us health insurance ten years ago!

[Tracey in TX]

We get called MONTHLY from our alma maters requesting monetary donations. College is so outrageously expensive that I understand why universities want to provide assistance, but dislike being expected to fund someone else's education when we have five DCs to educate. (Not to mention we paid for our own school, and DH's MBA.) Sometimes ya' want to help others, but just isn't feasible.

[Daisy]

So tell them to take their research grant money and support the grad. students. Then at least they'd be earning their keep.

 

Maybe that will cut down on junky research. LOL.

 

Okay, I KNOW it can't work that way, but I liked the sound of it.

 

I just find it amazing considering we are still paying off Dh's grad loans. He was tops of his class and worked full-time in his field, was a husband and father, through-out grad. school. I'm kinda clueless how these "special" grad programs work.

Edited December 5, 2008 by Daisy

[KAR120C]

But you were required to work in exchange - this letter is saying that nothing will be required in exchange (except going to class I assume.)

But actually I don't think it's altogether a good idea. On the one hand it was nice to have the time to focus on my work, but on the other hand, the whole idea that grad students have unlimited time to focus on their work leads (IME) to ridiculous expectations from professors who expect you to spend all of that "unlimited" time on their one assignment. And the other four you report to doing the exact same thing.

 

I had an outside job in the university but with another department (because I just couldn't see not working at all!) and it was strongly looked down upon... and more importantly it was nearly impossible to juggle both school and work because school assumed that it could have any time it wanted from me. Basically if we needed more than the barely-enough they gave us to live on, we were meant to get a little extra by babysitting professors' kids, or house-sitting, or something that didn't take us away from whatever they wanted right now this very second.

 

I didn't last long! LOL

[unsinkable]

At least in the language depts, traditionally, you would be offered an assistantship. You would take your classes and teach one beginning level class. For this, you would not pay tuition (or at least get in-state tuition) and some small stipend (enough to live on if you had a roommate and were careful with money). You could also work in the summer. What this letter is saying is that they want to give grad students the stipend without requiring them to do any work in exchange.

 

Ah. I thought being a grad student meant that you were teaching or helping a professor with a survey class with many students along with taking your own classes.

 

So this would be money just to take graduate level classes?

Edited December 5, 2008 by unsinkable
forgot part of my sentence

[cathmom]

 

So this would be money just to take graduate level classes?

 

Yes. Although, as some people have posted, different depts. might have unspoken requirements.

[King Alfred Academy]

As a wife of a first year grad student...I say YES!!:D

 

BUT...ask me again when he has graduated and they are asking us for money!

 

ETA...my dh is fully funded (but still isn't enough for us to "make it") but that is only because he worked his tail end off as an undergraduate...graduated with honors, received the highest GRE score at the University, completed 3 independent research projects and then presented them at international conferences, published some things...all of this as an undergraduate, supporting his family AND working 3/4 time. Yep...I am proud!

 

Forgot to add that part of him receiving his first year award is that he is not allowed to work this year. He is suppose to concentrate on his studies. The following years will be different. He will work as a TA unless he wins some other awards that would allow him to do his research.

Edited December 6, 2008 by King Alfred Academy

[kokotg]

My phD program (in English) provided "full" support (certainly not enough money to live on, but tuition paid plus a stipend) with no work requirement until the second year. Starting the second year we taught classes, were TAs, etc. My recollection from when I was looking around and applying (quite awhile ago now!) is that this was common with phD programs but much rarer with MAs.