On average, how much do graduate assistantships/fellowships pay?

[Woozie]

For a PhD student in the hard sciences (we get paid more because we're clearly superior to psychologist/philosphers/english majors/etc). Obviously I know the amount varies a lot over the US, so I just want to know everyone's personal experiences with it (as well as what state they went to grad school in).

If anyone here is in grad student (for anything, but preferably natural sciences or math), do assistantships give you enough money to get by on?

The reason I'm asking is because I was looking at a few universities and realized that they limit the amount of time you can work at other jobs (usually to about zero). Here at UofA, they're going to let me work 8 hours at the physics department (I'm going to be a TA with the math department), but it seems like a lot of schools don't allow you to work outside of your assistantship at all. And if I can't get a second job, I would hope that the assistantship pays enough, but at the University of Akron, it doesn't seem like much (though maybe that's why they let us get second jobs). I'm going to get my PhD in physics somewhere that isn't Akron, so I want to know what to expect since I may not be allowed to get a second job.

Anyways, I just want to know everyone else's personal experiences with assistantships (or fellowships).

Edit: Also, if I go out of state for my Physics PhD, will an assistantship or fellowship pay full out of state tuition?

[Leif]

Hard sciences (i.e. not English, History, Education, or anything with the name "Studies") usually give their PhD students full financial support and a decent stipend that is enough for housing & food.

[Woozie]

So basically I shouldn't be worried about the fact that I can't get a second job?

[Leif]

You should worry about getting in.

[Woozie]

You mean getting into the school or getting an assistantship at the school? How competitive are they? My professors all make it seem like getting into grad school for physics or math will be easy, so I never even thought to ask them how competitive it is (though they do always tell me fellowships are insanely hard to get).

Edit: I just found out today that my application for grad school here at the UofA wasn't even complete, and I didn't even submit letters of recommendations or references and I still got in. But that may be because the people here already know me (and have known me pretty well since like high school).

Edit: Let me explain that a little. I'm in a combined bachelors/masters program for math. So technically I'm an undergrad, but I'm also consdered a grad student. I had to apply for that as normal, and I'm applying for an assistantship. The reason I did this is because I realized that there's now ay I can graduate until at least 2012, and with all the time I have, that's enough time to go ahead and get a masters in math while I'm here (so basically school will be cheaper due to the assistantship, and it wont take me any longer to graduate). But after I'm done, I'm going to grad school for physics somewhere out of Akron (and probably out of state), so that's what I consider to be the *real* beginning of my graduate studies. So that's why I have no clue about grad school despite already being in grad school. Because right now it's no different than being an undergrad except I have to take more/higher level classes.

I don't get my assistantship here until the fall. It's not really gauranteed, but one of the professors (the guy who's in charge of this stuff) pretty much said I'll get it because I'm black. When I ask them about going to grad school (that is, grad school after Akron's grad school) and getting an assistantship, they make it sound as if it will still be easy for various reasons (even if I was white).

[Eliseos]

I think I saw somewhere that physics research positions for graduate (might be only master's level, not sure) for my university at somewhere around $30k/year. I'll try to find the link, but they just redid the website for physics so it may take me some time.

EDIT: Here, http://www4.uwm.edu/letsci/physics/g...ancial-aid.cfm

They do a lot of work with LIGO, pretty interesting overhearing them walking through the hallways.

Another Edit: The physics department here receives a substantial amount of the total research funds for my university as well, I think it was like 10-15%.

[Woozie]

Seriously? 30k? Sounds high lol

Edit: okay, the link says 17k for research and 11k for teaching, which is more than sufficient (well 11k for teaching sounds like less than I make now, but hopefully I'll have less expenses by then)

Edit: Actually that's 11k+8k. And even more for people with a MS. I'll have an MS in math, but I'll be working on physics, so I'm guessing I'll count as "not having a MS".

[Eliseos]

Ah yeah, according to here http://www.graduateschool.uwm.edu/fa...ship-schedule/ the high numbers are if you're completely full time, since I guess most (?) grads go half time and work for the university for the other half.

[Woozie]

What do they mean by full-time/Half-time?

[Sanoske]

I know the Yale PhD program for Anthropology gives you ~30k/yr for living and whatever if you get accepted. I'm not at Yale, and I would kill puppies to get into their Anthro PhD program, but I do have a friend who is at Yale for his PhD in Linguistic Anthro.

However, that's Yale. But I figured I could at least give an example.

[Eliseos]

What do they mean by full-time/Half-time?

I think the amount of credits you take. I don't know what full-time is for grad-students, but here it's 12 credits for an undergraduate.

[Jodwahh]

My professors all make it seem like getting into grad school for physics or math will be easy, so I never even thought to ask them how competitive it is (though they do always tell me fellowships are insanely hard to get).
.

Not hard for you because you are technically whats known as a fucking genius me old chum. It's a one hell of a burden to bare but I have high hopes that one day you will get me to the moon!

[Woozie]

I'm assuming the people I compete against for spots will be as nerdy as I am. Hopefully they're just as willing to get you to the moon.

[Jodwahh]

Bitches better be or there's going to be a string of unsolved grad student murders across the states.

[Zieara]

I came from a BA in Math, and a BS in EE and was able to get directly into a phD math program at Case Western. (I'm no 4.0 genius either) So, in general I wouldn't worry too much about getting in. As long as you're competent and can come off well in an interview/letter of intent. (Which I think you easily can, from reading your posts on this forum)

And my assistanceship is enough for my wife and I to live on w/o me working. And she only working part-time. So, you should have enough to get by, but don't expect to live lavishly on it.

[Woozie]

Exactly how much is your assistantship, if you don't mind me asking? Case Western is actually one of the schools I've been considering.

Edit: Actually, I may be able to find some data on their website.

[Zieara]

I don't mind, although my figure may be off. I started this spring, so they told me the amount is going to be different come this fall (no clue why). And it's ~$9k. I assume it'll be less per semester next year. And I think they pay for up to 15 cr hrs a semester? Not sure on that number as I'm only taking 9.

[Woozie]

9k/yr or 9k/semester? Sounds like you're saying the latter, but I want to be sure.

[Zieara]

per semester, but I was explicitly told that next year would differ.

[Eliseos]

they told me the amount is going to be different come this fall (no clue why).

They usually finalize the budget for the coming year (with the year going from fall, to winter, to spring, to summer semesters) over the summer, which I would assume includes your salary, and why it would change.