To Ivy, or not to Ivy

Good question. It really depends on the program. Funding can take many forms: teaching assistantships, research and other assistantships (example: one my my “other” assistantships was an advising position in the Dean’s office that was funded just like a teaching assistantship, with a full tuition waiver plus a stipend and health care), fellowships, and grants funded by the department, plus outside fellowships that range from research travel grants to fully funded semesters for writing. Some programs accept students with guaranteed funding for however many years (usually 4-5), and in others you have to apply for funding but usually get it. The level of funding varies, though: full or partial tuition waivers, stipends of differing values, health care included or not. Often, once you’re ABD (“all but dissertation”), your tuition goes down significantly, because you’re just registered for a minimal dissertation credit each semester until you’re done. So even if your funding runs out and you have to take loans, they’ll be minimal.

So for however many years it takes, it’s generally possible to support yourself, but you’re not really paying off loans or accruing savings. For history Ph.D.s, it usually takes 5-8 years, and sometimes longer if you have more assistantships than fellowships (in other words, if funding comes with work expectations), or if life otherwise intervenes.

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