How To Pay for Your PhD

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Pursuing a PhD in the United States is exciting. My goal is to help you complete your without incurring any financial debt. In this post, I will highlight the total cost of a PhD and identify 4 options to cover them.

So, what’s the cost?

It’s important to understand the total cost of the PhD before uprooting your life and moving to a new state or country. Here are the main expenses and a few ideas on how to cover them:

  • Tuition and other fees

Tuition costs vary by institution, location, citizenship status, field of study, and the university’s funding packages. Based on my research, the average cost of a PhD is $106,000. However, there are funding opportunities that reduce your personal expenses. In many cases, you will receive a tuition waiver and even get paid to pursue your PhD.

  • Books and Materials

The cost of books and study materials varies by academic discipline and universities. For example, some degrees require lab experiment costs, field research support, and subscriptions to journals and software. During my time as a PhD student, I budgeted at least $500 per semester for textbooks. I prefer physical books; however, they are overpriced in the US. Hence, I bought used books from our bookstore and other booksellers. I also borrowed physical and digital books from our library and other libraries in Massachusetts, through the interlibrary loan program.

  • Living Expenses and Healthcare

Living and healthcare expenses vary by geographic location and personal circumstances. For example, the average monthly cost of a 1 bedroom in Massachusetts is $2,500. It’s only $1,370 in South Carolina. This cost will also increase if you are a parent, and your child is living with you during your PhD program.

Now that you understand the costs, let’s explore the actions you can take to pay for your PhD.

4 Actions to Pay for Your PhD:

    1. Apply to Fully Funded PhD programs

    Securing your place in a fully funded PhD program is an attractive option for domestic and international students. Several top universities in the United States provide a monthly living stipend, and cover tuition fees and health insurance.

    A few universities that offer fully funded PhD programs are:

        • Duke University “guarantees Ph.D. students five years of stipend, tuition, and fees support, plus six years of full coverage for health and dental insurance premiums.” Duke pays $2,969.23 per month for 12 months (Duke 2024).

        • Harvard University. At Harvard, you are guaranteed funding in social science and STEM degrees. They offer full funding for 5 years.

        • The University of Massachusetts (UMass) system. This comprises 5 universities across the state, including Boston, Amherst, Darthmouth, Lowell, and Worcester. UMass Amherst offers a 9-month stipend at $24,821.60. UMass Boston, however, offers a $20,352.00 stipend.

      Note: While some universities offer full tuition remissions for the length of the program, others might not offer stipends for the entire program length. For example, you might have a 5-year tuition waiver, but only receive a stipend to cover living expenses for your first 3 years. Also, some universities only offer 9-10 month stipends. If this happens, you might have to find other grants to cover your living expenses during your unfunded months.  

              2. Serve as a Teaching Assistant vs Research Assistant vs Teaching Fellow

      Teaching Assistants (TAs) support faculty members with teaching-related tasks such as lecturing, grading papers, leading discussion sections or lab sessions, and assisting students.  Research Assistants (RAs), however, support faculty with research projects. They are both supervised positions which require you to work between 10 to 20 hours in exchange for your stipend and tuition remission.

      The Teaching Fellow (TF) positions are for students with more experience or those who enrolled in their university’s teaching academy. Unlike TA and RAs, Teaching Fellows have more autonomy. They are also required to lecturer 1 – 2 classes per term in exchange for their stipend and tuition remission.

      RAs, TAs, and TFs can 100% (full time), 75%, or 50%. These percentages correlate with the amount of tuition you’ll have deducted from your costs and hours required per week.

               3. Win Fellowships, Scholarships, and Grants

      Scholarships and fellowships are usually merit-based. They are funded by companies, non-profit organizations, and even governments. Each scholarship has its own requirements and post-scholarship commitments. International students must ensure they meet specific immigration requirements when applying for scholarships, including having a valid F-1 or J-1 student visa, and maintaining full-time enrollment status. Some scholarships might even require students to return to their home country before changing their immigration status.

      Also, fellowships, scholarships, and grants amounts vary and restrict how funds can be spent. For instance, some cover books, field work expenses, and living expenses. Others bar recipients from spending on their internet or phone bills. Lastly, dissertation or research fellowships are only open to advanced candidates or ABD (All But Dissertation, must have defended your proposal). Here are a few examples:

      • American Association of University Women (AAUW): These awards are only open to women who are conducting academic work, or leading community projects. Their doctoral fellowships are open to international students, US permanent residents, and citizens.
          • American Dissertation Fellowship awards $25,000 to US citizens and permanent residents.
          • International Fellowships Awards $20,000 to international students. This grant is open to Masters, Professional, and Academic Doctoral Degree students.
      • PEO International Peace Scholarship: This award is open only to women – who are non-US citizens or permanent residents – for graduate study in the U.S. or Canada. The maximum award is $12,500. You must have a full year of coursework left (e.g. taught courses) and currently reside in the US.
      • Harvard Program on Negotiation: This is open to students who are studying in the Boston area whose research or program focuses on negotiation, mediation, and conflict management.
          • PON Graduate Research Fellowships: Students in the US or abroad are welcome to apply and must be at the writing stage. Stipend amount: $35,000.
          • Summer Fellowships Grants: This is open to Boston-area students whose research advances the links between scholarship and practice in negotiation and dispute resolution. The maximum amount is $3,500 and the amount is awarded on a case-by-case basis.
      • PON Graduate Student Grants: This grant supports graduate research in the fields of negotiation and conflict resolution. Each grant is limited to $1,000 and can only be used for research projects and associated costs. You cannot use the grant to pay tuition or travel to present at a conference.
      • ACLS/Melon Innovation Dissertation: This is open to PhD students (who are at the ABD stage) in a humanities or social science department in the United States. The fellowship offers a $42,000 base stipend for the fellowship year, and $8,000 for project-related research and development.

      4.Obtain Country-Specific or Government Funded Scholarships

      Several countries offer scholarships and loans for students wishing to pursue graduate studies. I’d like to highlight one of the most recognized scholarships, Fulbright. 

      This program offers scholarships to both international students, and US permanent residents and citizens. Check with your home country’s education ministry or embassy in the U.S. for potential funding opportunities.

      • Fulbright Foreign Student Program: This program is available in 160+ countries worldwide. It provides the opportunity for graduate students, young professionals and artists from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States. The PhD scholarship comes with tuition remission, funds to purchase books, and living expenses. Note: The living expenses you are awarded will vary by the state in which your university is located. For example, a student will most likely receive a smaller amount for monthly expenses in Nebraska than in New York – due to variations in cost of living.
      • Fulbright US Student Program: The aim of this program is to boost cross-cultural dialogue and professional development. Its partnership spans 140 countries and create opportunities for Americans to conduct field research, pursue graduate study, and learn a foreign language.