Planning for Getting PhD in the USA

[asianphd]

Hello fellas!

I am planning to get a PhD in Data Science/Analytics/AI in the USA, maybe in the next 1-2 years after I finished my master's.
I come from Indonesia, so I am applying for international students.

I already do some research and I find out that PhD in the USA can be done for free. Here is what I found:

Ph.D. in Statistics and Data Science, University of Nevada, Reno
https://www.unr.edu/degrees/statistics-a...cience/phd
All students accepted to the Statistics and Data Science Ph.D. program receive an annual stipend of $17,000, a tuition waiver and a subsidized medical plan. Students may also pursue departmental and University-wide scholarships. Visit the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships for more details.

USC Marshall
https://www.marshall.usc.edu/programs/ph...ge/funding
Accepted students receive a competitive fellowship and/or graduate assistantship package. The package includes full tuition, a generous stipend, health and dental insurance, and coverage of mandatory student health center fees. The combination of fellowship and graduate assistantship is guaranteed for five years for those who maintain satisfactory degree progress. 

And others...

So according to what I read is, if I accepted in the Ph.D. program, I automatically received the stipend. Hence, I don't need to pay the cost. Right?

Please if anyone has a suggestion or maybe a caveat, go ahead tell me. 

Thank you for your attention 

[Merlin]

So according to what I read is, if I accepted in the Ph.D. program, I automatically received the stipend. Hence, I don't need to pay the cost. Right?

Please if anyone has a suggestion or maybe a caveat, go ahead tell me.

Yes and no. That is to say, it depends. If you are a full-time on-campus Ph.D. student in most universities (not just in the USA) there are usually programs available to help reduce or eliminate the costs associated with doctoral study. If you are a part-time Ph.D. student or a distance-learning student, then they usually do not provide the same financial support, and may not provide any at all.

For full-time on-campus students, many schools will provide annual fellowships or grants to all Ph.D. students accepted into fully-funded Ph.D. programs. These grants/fellowships offer enough to cover tuition, healthcare benefits, and a small monthly stipend to help cover basic living expenses. If the Ph.D. program isn't fully funded, the number of grants/fellowships may be reduced, or they may not cover costs or stipends.

Beyond fellowships and grants, there may also be opportunities for teaching and research assistantships at some universities. These are more competitive since there are only so many slots available and your research goals need to align with the assistantship you're looking to fill. But these will usually include a tuition waiver and a stipend for living expenses. This is a good option when the Ph.D. program itself isn't fully funded or as a means to earn extra income.

If you're a part-time on-campus student, the amounts offered will be reduced, and the same opportunities may not be available. If you're a remote learning student, it is likely that you will not be eligible for most of these opportunities at all, particularly if you're a part-time remote student.

So, yes, you can get a free ride for many Ph.D. programs, but only if you're a full-time on-campus student. And getting into a fully-funded Ph.D. program is no easy feat. The schools that offer these kinds of programs are generally highly competitive, and they are only looking for people with amazing research credentials and excellent academic backgrounds.

I'm applying to Ph.D. programs right now, so I'm dealing with this myself. I've looked at some local colleges, but I don't have the academic & research background required to make it into most fully-funded programs... and most of the local programs don't offer part-time programs. That leaves distance learning programs. Since I'd be a part-time remote student, I'm looking at international schools more than US schools since they are much less expensive, which is important given I won't be provided any tuition support and I don't want to have to take out loans if I can avoid it.

[Stanislav]

Sounds like you are an international student looking for a full-time program. I was in exactly your shoes. In STEM programs at major universities, a majority of doctoral students have funding. In my department it was mostly through assistantships; I'm under impression that this is largely true today as well. They were pretty good at finding work for us. Of course, you need credentials to get in, and able to make a strong application.

---

Oh, and broaden your search to Computer Science programs. Apply broadly.

[SteveFoerster]

Yes, but unless you have significant savings, it means you have to live in the Reno, Nevada area on $17K per year, which would be challenging, to put it mildly.

[Stanislav]

Yes, but unless you have significant savings, it means you have to live in the Reno, Nevada area on $17K per year, which would be challenging, to put it mildly.

That is what a majority of doctoral students are doing.

[bjcheung77]

For international students, getting a Doctorate/PhD from an Australia, North American or European university is pretty much the same in regards to full ride scholarships/stipends etc. It all depends, this may sound as if everything is free, but in reality, it's much different than what you may perceive it to be. In brief, research & tread cautiously...

I've been telling people from overseas countries that Europe has many countries that offer FREE TUITION, but many can't afford FREE TUITION, why? The other expenses aren't factored in, most cases, or in almost all/majority of cases, these "overlooked" expenses and fees are much more expensive than from a well known university in their nation.

What I tell people to do is, to calculate the "other" expenses, such as food & living (essentially room & board) as this is different from each nation, also calculate how much you can afford to go overseas when taking the doctorate/PhD. Many schools only offer a partial scholarship/stipend and it costs over $50K/year (yes, a year even with that partial scholarship).

[Stanislav]

For international students, getting a Doctorate/PhD from an Australia, North American or European university is pretty much the same in regards to full ride scholarships/stipends etc. It all depends, this may sound as if everything is free, but in reality, it's much different than what you may perceive it to be. In brief, research & tread cautiously...

I've been telling people from overseas countries that Europe has many countries that offer FREE TUITION, but many can't afford FREE TUITION, why? The other expenses aren't factored in, most cases, or in almost all/majority of cases, these "overlooked" expenses and fees are much more expensive than from a well known university in their nation.

What I tell people to do is, to calculate the "other" expenses, such as food & living (essentially room & board) as this is different from each nation, also calculate how much you can afford to go overseas when taking the doctorate/PhD. Many schools only offer a partial scholarship/stipend and it costs over $50K/year (yes, a year even with that partial scholarship).

In US, context, if the school does not offer a full ride, international student will have to come up with the balance of tuition & room & board in advance, for the school to be able to issue a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F1) Student Status (Form I-20). In practice, without a full scholarship, a student will not get an F1 visa and will not be able to come (unless he can pay out of pocket). So the schools not willing to support a students are effectively excluded from consideration.
I have not seen one PhD student in CS program when I attended who would pay for him/herself. I knew a fair number of students in Math and Physics department, they didn't pay for themselves either; one PhD student I knew in Art Administration didn't pay either. Truth is, paying your way in a full-time PhD program would be an insanely poor investment for anyone but maybe independently wealth trust fund folks, so it is basically not a "thing". Maybe people in professional PhD programs take loans to pay (Psychology, Medical Physics; what else?); even business schools in good universities fund their students (and that's why they do not have many open slots every year). It's a whole different universe, compared to part-time degrees we mostly discuss here.

---

To be fair, I don't know how is the immigration climate now, especially with Mr. Build T. Wall in the WH. On MS level, it is way harder to get funding; on PhD level, if they can't offer funding and can't attract foreign students, most schools would not have a program. I worked in industry since graduating in 2008 and recently decided to try and get that faculty job. I interviewed for an instructor job, twice, at my old doctoral department (lost two times, due to office politics and, second time around, another fellow alum); interesting fact is that the department grew at least 100%, and every single new tenure-track hire since 2008 is not an American citizen. Not one. I doubt any of them paid their own money for their degrees (every one of then earned a PhD at good American universities).

[asianphd]

So according to what I read is, if I accepted in the Ph.D. program, I automatically received the stipend. Hence, I don't need to pay the cost. Right?

Please if anyone has a suggestion or maybe a caveat, go ahead tell me.

So, yes, you can get a free ride for many Ph.D. programs, but only if you're a full-time on-campus student. And getting into a fully-funded Ph.D. program is no easy feat. The schools that offer these kinds of programs are generally highly competitive, and they are only looking for people with amazing research credentials and excellent academic backgrounds.

I'm applying to Ph.D. programs right now, so I'm dealing with this myself. I've looked at some local colleges, but I don't have the academic & research background required to make it into most fully-funded programs... and most of the local programs don't offer part-time programs. That leaves distance learning programs. Since I'd be a part-time remote student, I'm looking at international schools more than US schools since they are much less expensive, which is important given I won't be provided any tuition support and I don't want to have to take out loans if I can avoid it.

Yes, I am going to have a full-time. This is the part that I should deal with too. I am from a developing country, which the STEM subjects usually very lacking. 

I should really initiatively learn on my own, MOOC, reading textbook, reading a research paper, etc. I am competing with students that come from the top university, or maybe from an Ivy League. 

This reality should make me realize that I should give more effort into it. But I believe I have a passion for the academic environment.

Sounds like you are an international student looking for a full-time program. I was in exactly your shoes. In STEM programs at major universities, a majority of doctoral students have funding. In my department it was mostly through assistantships; I'm under impression that this is largely true today as well. They were pretty good at finding work for us. Of course, you need credentials to get in, and able to make a strong application.

---

Oh, and broaden your search to Computer Science programs. Apply broadly.

Yes, I am applying as an international student, full-time, and full-funded program. 

Where are you from and how it was going for you? 

For international students, getting a Doctorate/PhD from an Australia, North American or European university is pretty much the same in regards to full ride scholarships/stipends etc.  It all depends, this may sound as if everything is free, but in reality, it's much different than what you may perceive it to be.   In brief, research & tread cautiously...

I've been telling people from overseas countries that Europe has many countries that offer FREE TUITION, but many can't afford FREE TUITION, why? The other expenses aren't factored in, most cases, or in almost all/majority of cases, these "overlooked" expenses and fees are much more expensive than from a well known university in their nation.  

What I tell people to do is, to calculate the "other" expenses, such as food & living (essentially room & board) as this is different from each nation, also calculate how much you can afford to go overseas when taking the doctorate/PhD.  Many schools only offer a partial scholarship/stipend and it costs over $50K/year (yes, a year even with that partial scholarship).

Noted. Thank you for your info. In my case, even the well known university, when it comes to STEM, especially the Technology one, is nowhere. 

My planning is, when I finished the PhD, I wanted to apply for US PR, or even a citizenship. 

For international students.......

In US, context, if the school does not offer a full ride, international student will have to come up with the balance of tuition & room & board in advance, for the school to be able to issue a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F1) Student Status (Form I-20). In practice, without a full scholarship, a student will not get an F1 visa and will not be able to come (unless he can pay out of pocket). So the schools not willing to support a students are effectively excluded from consideration.
I have not seen one PhD student in CS program when I attended who would pay for him/herself. I knew a fair number of students in Math and Physics department, they didn't pay for themselves either; one PhD student I knew in Art Administration didn't pay either. Truth is, paying your way in a full-time PhD program would be an insanely poor investment for anyone but maybe independently wealth trust fund folks, so it is basically not a "thing". Maybe people in professional PhD programs take loans to pay (Psychology, Medical Physics; what else?); even business schools in good universities fund their students (and that's why they do not have many open slots every year). It's a whole different universe, compared to part-time degrees we mostly discuss here.

---

To be fair, I don't know how is the immigration climate now, especially with Mr. Build T. Wall in the WH. On MS level, it is way harder to get funding; on PhD level, if they can't offer funding and can't attract foreign students, most schools would not have a program. I worked in industry since graduating in 2008 and recently decided to try and get that faculty job. I interviewed for an instructor job, twice, at my old doctoral department (lost two times, due to office politics and, second time around, another fellow alum); interesting fact is that the department grew at least 100%, and every single new tenure-track hire since 2008 is not an American citizen. Not one. I doubt any of them paid their own money for their degrees (every one of then earned a PhD at good American universities).

The emphasized words really give me "a hope" to be able to realize my dream.

So, yes, what I read from you and other folks posting here, the possibility for getting fully-funded PhD is still wide, even for the international students. 

In conclusion, I really should prepare for my academic skill and my research ability. I really appreciate if anyone have similar experience to this.

Thank you, folks, for the posting.

[Stanislav]

Yes, I am applying as an international student, full-time, and full-funded program. 

Where are you from and how it was going for you? 

Ukraine. I got into Florida State and graduated in 2008. At the moment, in tough market, I didn't find a teaching job (or rather I did, twice, but the schools' HR were not willing to work with me on immigration), so I moved to Canada. I'm trying to move back to US academia now, it's my first semester teaching full-time in non-tt role.
Figure out what you need to apply and work from that. You need good GPA and GRE score, strong statement of purpose, and recommendation letters. When I first applied, there were some flaws in my package, plus I didn't research programs well and was rejected. Programs were too small and too high-ranked (I applied to Dartmouth, not realizing it's an Ivy League school. They replied "we received 400 applications to our 5 open spots, sorry" LOL). Then I was planning to reapply next year, and sent four packages at a lark for the Spring semester - got accepted by two universities.

[Merlin]

You need good GPA and GRE score, strong statement of purpose, and recommendation letters. When I first applied, there were some flaws in my package, plus I didn't research programs well and was rejected.

I am working through this stuff right now and I have forseen this problem for myself. I don't have a problem with the statement of purpose or most of the other information, but I don't have much in the way of undergrad GPA as most of my credits are ungraded. While my graduate credits were ungraded, they do come with a 3.0 equivalency, despite acing every course, so that helps a bit. The bigger issue is that since all my recent schooling was online, I don't really have a way to gain academic letters of recommendation. Not to mention, I have decades of professional experience, but no academic research experience to list.

So all in all, I can already tell that I'm going to have issues getting into any decent program and most likely will have to find a non-funded program and pay my own way. That or I'm going to have to go back to school somewhere else to pursue another degree and aim to develop academic contacts and research experience before trying to apply for Ph.D. programs in the future.

Then again, if I'm going to spend the time and money to pursue another master's degree, I may as well forget about the Ph.D., or just spend the money to pay out of pocket for an unfunded Ph.D. at a lesser-known school to begin with.

FYI, I'm doing this for myself because I want to contribute to academic knowledge at large. I am not specifically looking to get into teaching or anything, but it would be nice to be able to have teaching as a fallback when I am ready to retire from regular work.

Out of curiosity, since you mentioned that you graduated in 2008 and are teaching now, what did you do your Ph.D. in?