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I have never heard of a PhD student who isn't getting paid to do research. Even at the Master's level, most students were getting paid, with the exception of th

I have never heard of a PhD student who isn't getting paid to do research. Even at the Master's level, most students were getting paid, with the exception of the coursework people. Are there people who are actually paying for their PhDs? If so that is definitely not the norm.

denzil_correa 13y ago
> Are there people who are actually paying for their PhDs? Yes, there are. I know Cornell(USA) has had such positions. But yes, it is definitely not a norm.
- cabinpark 13y ago
  Wow that's the worst. I would NEVER pay for a PhD out of my own pocket. I mean, yes the PhD isn't "free" in the sense of I don't pay tuition. I do but it's included in my funding. I asked a former university staffer about it once and they told me the money doesn't exist. The university "charges" me x dollars per term, but in my funding there is conveniently an extra x dollars per term in addition to my y salary from the university. So I then tell the university in my funding forms that they owe me x+y dollars and they are like "oh, well we have to deduct x dollars for your tuition". So the net effect is the money doesn't actually exist. What subjects were these PhDs in by the way?
  - denzil_correa 13y ago
    > What subjects were these PhDs in by the way? I am talking specifically about Computer Science. This is not even a modern instance. The first case I've heard about is in 1999.
alexandros 13y ago
Some times the student's home country will pay for their PhD tuition and expenses abroad, which means that from the university's perspective they're a paying student. The catch is that the student then signs that they will return home for a period (e.g. two years) immediately after the PhD or be liable to pay the scholarship back. [source: am an ex PhD student, have seen friends under this arrangement].
paulojreis 13y ago
I am. There's the university tuition, other related (so called "administrative") costs and (of course) time & energy. Also, some "reading" material (mostly books). Although many (but not most) of my colleagues receive grants or scholarships, it is common (here) to pay the PhD out of your own pocket. But I do live in Portugal, so factor in the economical (but, mostly, social) context.

denzil_correa 13y ago

> Are there people who are actually paying for their PhDs? Yes, there are. I know Cornell(USA) has had such positions. But yes, it is definitely not a norm.

cabinpark 13y ago
Wow that's the worst. I would NEVER pay for a PhD out of my own pocket. I mean, yes the PhD isn't "free" in the sense of I don't pay tuition. I do but it's included in my funding. I asked a former university staffer about it once and they told me the money doesn't exist. The university "charges" me x dollars per term, but in my funding there is conveniently an extra x dollars per term in addition to my y salary from the university. So I then tell the university in my funding forms that they owe me x+y dollars and they are like "oh, well we have to deduct x dollars for your tuition". So the net effect is the money doesn't actually exist. What subjects were these PhDs in by the way?
- denzil_correa 13y ago
  > What subjects were these PhDs in by the way? I am talking specifically about Computer Science. This is not even a modern instance. The first case I've heard about is in 1999.

alexandros 13y ago

Some times the student's home country will pay for their PhD tuition and expenses abroad, which means that from the university's perspective they're a paying student. The catch is that the student then signs that they will return home for a period (e.g. two years) immediately after the PhD or be liable to pay the scholarship back. [source: am an ex PhD student, have seen friends under this arrangement].

paulojreis 13y ago

I am. There's the university tuition, other related (so called "administrative") costs and (of course) time & energy. Also, some "reading" material (mostly books). Although many (but not most) of my colleagues receive grants or scholarships, it is common (here) to pay the PhD out of your own pocket. But I do live in Portugal, so factor in the economical (but, mostly, social) context.