This petition does address real issues a graduate student of FAU must face. I believe there are constructive solutions to the above mentioned problems that would actually increase the rating of our graduate programs at FAU.
S
Sigma Chawdhury
10 years ago
Former undergrad
M
mario miranda
10 years ago
I had to take a leave on 80% through my PhD in Ocean Engineering because i couldnt afford to live on student pay any longer.
I took a full time job and would extremely like to finish the effort that i put in and had to sacrifice for.
Please help me help us to give a reason to come back and finish. I have tuition assistance, but its not going to cover my out of pocket deficits.
Y
Yuxun Sun
10 years ago
Although I have a very enriched and pleasant academic experience here at FAU, I must say that at the same time my living standards are significantly compromised, mostly due to the poor amount of stipends I am receiving (though our work loads are usually heavier compared to other schools), in spite of the relatively high cost of living in Boca. In addition, the fee I need to pay per semester plus the health insurance are ridicuously high. All these aspects force me to live in unwelcomed neighborhoods and reduce my grocery cost, which inevitably affects my academic progress. I have every reason to believe that I am not the only graduate student who feels this way. That being said, I am sinserely asking the administration to consider the situation of graduate students and to help us address the issue. Thank you.
G
Greg Tindall
10 years ago
Ignoring 10 years of inflation, compared to Tallahassee or Gainesville, living in Boca Raton today commands a 20-30% premium in cost of living.
M
Md Miran Hossain
10 years ago
It's been a pleasure being part of FAU. However, the financial stress due to the limited income and ever increasing expenditure have made life difficult. There is a substantial imbalance between our stipend and the cost of living. Costs are increasing every year, specially rents but our stipends have been the same for long time.
Moreover, our compensation package does not include any contribution toward health insurance, which is unusual compared to that of other school's graduate students' packages. Another difficulty with health insurance is that premium increases substantially (almost double) as one crosses 30 year mark. I think most graduate students face this difficulty of increased premium during their stay at school.
I would also like to seek attention regarding absence of an on campus graduate housing. I did my masters in Colorado State University and the school provided with significantly subsidized housing for graduate students. There is no such housing facility at FAU.
M
Maohua Lin
10 years ago
This is my monthly budget: 780$ rent+150$car insurance oil+300$food+125$electricity internet phone+200$monthly tuition+100$ health insurance=1655$
Luckily, I survived.
M
Michael Epstein
10 years ago
I would like to point out that increased graduate student stipends can benefit the university as well. For example, graduate students who wish to attend a conference, even if they are granted travel funds by the university, typically have to pay all of the expenses up front and wait to be reimbursed. For many students who are struggling to make ends meet, this is impossible. Consequently, many excellent students are prevented from sharing their research with the greater academic community. Increased stipends would give more students the financial flexibility to attend such conferences and show off the high quality research being done at FAU. That's good for both the students and the university.
M
Merike Lang
10 years ago
I don't think it is possible to live on $1300 per month.
A
Alyson Myers
10 years ago
I'm a current graduate student at FAU and I am international. I can't work anywhere else but on campus and I struggle to make ends meet every month. If my car battery dies, there goes my food budget for the month. I am perpetually one unexpected expense from having no money. I can't even afford to purchase a plane ticket to visit my family or to even save up to buy one. There is a lot of stress that comes with living pay cheque to pay cheque and I can't say it positively affects my work. I love this university and everything I have learned in graduate school, but the constant stress of trying to make ends meet really puts a damper on the graduate experience and pursuing an advanced degree.
K
Kathy Langenberg
10 years ago
As a parent of an FAU graduate student, I would like to say that Austin, Texas is poised to become the next Silicon Valley, and the University of Texas has one of the most innovative and remarkable computer science departments in the nation, and yet Boca Raton is 11% more expensive to live in than Austin.
R
Rachel Bladow
10 years ago
The M.S. stipend simply is not enough to cover rent in South Florida, car insurance, and food. I must still rely on help from my parents, but even that is not enough. It is also hard to find part time work that fits into a student schedule. Other universities pay their graduate students more in areas where the cost of living is cheaper. FAU should show that we are valued through supporting us better since we bring in research funding and publications for the university.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
Friend of FAU student
A
Azuth Hu
10 years ago
Featured
As an international student with dependents, it is impossible to support my family with the stipend itself, while we are not allowed to work outside of campus due to immigration restrictions. Graduate students should receive more support from the university given the more significant work we are supposed to do.
A
Anonymous
10 years ago
Graduate students discrimination should finally stop at this place!!!
A
Ashley Valentijn
10 years ago
In order to live decently as a Master's student, I was forced to take out government loans in order to supplement my income.
N
Nisha Deo Pudasaini
10 years ago
The stipend that FAU gives to my spouse is only covers half of our expenses even if he manages everything economically like sharing rented room, eating always at home etc. The insurance cost, tuition fees are high. How a graduate student with starving family produces creative results? He is always busy to manage financial things. So poor FAU graduate students!
This petition does address real issues a graduate student of FAU must face. I believe there are constructive solutions to the above mentioned problems that would actually increase the rating of our graduate programs at FAU.
Former undergrad
I had to take a leave on 80% through my PhD in Ocean Engineering because i couldnt afford to live on student pay any longer. I took a full time job and would extremely like to finish the effort that i put in and had to sacrifice for. Please help me help us to give a reason to come back and finish. I have tuition assistance, but its not going to cover my out of pocket deficits.
Although I have a very enriched and pleasant academic experience here at FAU, I must say that at the same time my living standards are significantly compromised, mostly due to the poor amount of stipends I am receiving (though our work loads are usually heavier compared to other schools), in spite of the relatively high cost of living in Boca. In addition, the fee I need to pay per semester plus the health insurance are ridicuously high. All these aspects force me to live in unwelcomed neighborhoods and reduce my grocery cost, which inevitably affects my academic progress. I have every reason to believe that I am not the only graduate student who feels this way. That being said, I am sinserely asking the administration to consider the situation of graduate students and to help us address the issue. Thank you.
Ignoring 10 years of inflation, compared to Tallahassee or Gainesville, living in Boca Raton today commands a 20-30% premium in cost of living.
It's been a pleasure being part of FAU. However, the financial stress due to the limited income and ever increasing expenditure have made life difficult. There is a substantial imbalance between our stipend and the cost of living. Costs are increasing every year, specially rents but our stipends have been the same for long time. Moreover, our compensation package does not include any contribution toward health insurance, which is unusual compared to that of other school's graduate students' packages. Another difficulty with health insurance is that premium increases substantially (almost double) as one crosses 30 year mark. I think most graduate students face this difficulty of increased premium during their stay at school. I would also like to seek attention regarding absence of an on campus graduate housing. I did my masters in Colorado State University and the school provided with significantly subsidized housing for graduate students. There is no such housing facility at FAU.
This is my monthly budget: 780$ rent+150$car insurance oil+300$food+125$electricity internet phone+200$monthly tuition+100$ health insurance=1655$ Luckily, I survived.
I would like to point out that increased graduate student stipends can benefit the university as well. For example, graduate students who wish to attend a conference, even if they are granted travel funds by the university, typically have to pay all of the expenses up front and wait to be reimbursed. For many students who are struggling to make ends meet, this is impossible. Consequently, many excellent students are prevented from sharing their research with the greater academic community. Increased stipends would give more students the financial flexibility to attend such conferences and show off the high quality research being done at FAU. That's good for both the students and the university.
I don't think it is possible to live on $1300 per month.
I'm a current graduate student at FAU and I am international. I can't work anywhere else but on campus and I struggle to make ends meet every month. If my car battery dies, there goes my food budget for the month. I am perpetually one unexpected expense from having no money. I can't even afford to purchase a plane ticket to visit my family or to even save up to buy one. There is a lot of stress that comes with living pay cheque to pay cheque and I can't say it positively affects my work. I love this university and everything I have learned in graduate school, but the constant stress of trying to make ends meet really puts a damper on the graduate experience and pursuing an advanced degree.
As a parent of an FAU graduate student, I would like to say that Austin, Texas is poised to become the next Silicon Valley, and the University of Texas has one of the most innovative and remarkable computer science departments in the nation, and yet Boca Raton is 11% more expensive to live in than Austin.
The M.S. stipend simply is not enough to cover rent in South Florida, car insurance, and food. I must still rely on help from my parents, but even that is not enough. It is also hard to find part time work that fits into a student schedule. Other universities pay their graduate students more in areas where the cost of living is cheaper. FAU should show that we are valued through supporting us better since we bring in research funding and publications for the university.
Friend of FAU student
As an international student with dependents, it is impossible to support my family with the stipend itself, while we are not allowed to work outside of campus due to immigration restrictions. Graduate students should receive more support from the university given the more significant work we are supposed to do.
Graduate students discrimination should finally stop at this place!!!
In order to live decently as a Master's student, I was forced to take out government loans in order to supplement my income.
The stipend that FAU gives to my spouse is only covers half of our expenses even if he manages everything economically like sharing rented room, eating always at home etc. The insurance cost, tuition fees are high. How a graduate student with starving family produces creative results? He is always busy to manage financial things. So poor FAU graduate students!
FAU Psychology
Thank you very much for your support.
FAU faculty