Things my university doesn’t tell grad students about their stipends that they should really know in advance: a thread.
First: no one who TAs or PAs (our version of RAs) in the fall gets paid until October. Good luck covering your security deposit and first month’s rent as a new student.
Second: if you TA in the summer, you don’t get paid until August. Good luck covering your July expenses.
Try saving for months of no income when you barely make $20,000 a year. Try paying for things like medical procedures—stuff you’d like to do in the summer when you have more time—with no money coming in.
And when I get back in the fall, the university will want $600 in fees. Thanks, guys.
(And yes, maybe saving is possible, but it’s ONLY possible if you start doing it well in advance, which requires knowing in advance that you need to set more aside each month in the spring...when you’re already making less b/c insurance deductions increase. So who knows.)
