What is a Stipend, and is it enough?
Currently, the Rice University stipend support for PhD students ranges from $34,000 to $40,000. Stipends are meant to act as compensation to students for their research, coursework, and service work. I am an English graduate student, so my stipend support is contingent upon successful completion of coursework, maintaining a minimum 3.5 GPA, service such as Teaching Assistantships and performance as instructor of record, and research work.
Living off of stipend can be difficult; however, it is not impossible, and there are additional streams of income that graduate students can access on campus to support themselves and the cost of living in Houston. I will reflect on a few of these resources and the best way to locate them.
A Bit About Me
I currently live individually on the outskirts of Houston. I have a dog, no children, leisure shop quite often, and value saving and investing money while also investing in my academia. My various expenses and desire to add to my CV have motivated me to take on different positions at the university for extra pay while not exceeding 20 hours of paid work per week, as required by the institution.
A few tips for choosing and obtaining academic employment and opportunities
The first tip (and most important) is to consistently check your email. The Humanities department program director sends out a weekly newsletter that details important updates in the department and frequently lists opportunities for work. This newsletter is my main source for finding employment opportunities. Additionally, calls for graduate-student employment are sent out through email regularly, especially as we begin shifting into new semesters and towards the end of summer, so I recommend checking your email at least once a week, but more if possible.
The next tip is to not take on too much too early or at one time. In my first year, I didn’t take on any extra work because I was devoted to acclimating to graduate school and Houston. In my second year, after becoming more familiar with the space and my education, I started to take on work.
To help mitigate some of the larger costs in your first year, think about applying to Rice Graduate Student Housing. These spaces are fully furnished, offer shuttle service to campus, and are generally more affordable than non-Rice housing apartments. Alternatives to graduate student housing are living with a roommate, looking into on-campus resources that donate furniture to students, and shopping second-hand for decor and other living necessities. When I moved to Houston I purchased most of my furniture from thrift stores and saved a ton of money. The Houston Furniture Bank is also a local option for furniture donation. Rice University has the graduate student loan closet, and the Rice University Classifieds which lists small pieces of office supplies and furniture for sale or donation on campus.
There are also comfortable and affordable apartments in the Medical Center, Upper Kirby, Midtown, and other areas within 15 minutes of the university. Cost-of-living can often be the most jarring and largest expense, so figuring out ways to minimize that aspect is really important, especially in your first year.
I would also advise you to talk to your peers. Many graduate students who have been in the program longer know where to search for additional pots of money and have likely been employed on campus themselves, so they’ll act as a great resource.
Look outside of your immediate department for employment opportunities. While I am in the English department, most of my additional employment is not connected with the department. Areas like the Program for Writing Communication, the Medical Humanities, Fondren Library, and others are great resources, especially for Humanities and Social Science students.
My last tip, but certainly not the least, is to take on work that will benefit you financially and academically. Pursuing academic employment that doesn’t enhance your CV/resume, research goals, or enjoyment might not be the most lucrative choice and might add a burden to your education, so be wise in your choices and think about why you’re applying for the work before applying. Ask yourself, is this work that I’ll enjoy? Will it benefit my present research or offer new perspectives that might be useful? What are my goals for completing this extra task, besides financials? There are a host of research, consulting, teaching, etc opportunities, so don’t settle for something that won’t supplement your education alongside your finances.
Potential Places for Employment
The Center for Academic and Professional Communication
The Center for Academic and Professional Communication (CAPC) is a service provided by the Program for Writing Communication (PWC). The role of the center is to offer one-on-one consultations to students on written and oral projects; however, for students who are interested in increasing their academic mentorship skills and accessing additional funds, the CAPC is a great place of employment. I heard about this opportunity while perusing the Humanities Graduate Student Weekly and decided that it was a great fit for me.
The center requires a minimum of 3 hours of work per week, in which graduate consultants conduct 45-minute long sessions with students from all different departments. The center focuses on macro-level feedback, and you do not have to be an expert in writing, Standard Written English, or English language to apply. Many STEM, social science, and other non-Humanities students are employed by the center, and there is usually a demand for STEM students. The center conducts a weekend-long training for all new consultants to help develop their consultation skills, so if you feel less confident about your advising abilities they’ll help you hone them.
The CAPC also offers special projects such as mock-med interviews, Master’s of Accounting presentation help, and others that are a great way to get extra hours.
Freshmen Writing Intensive Seminar (FWIS) 100 Writing Coaching
The Freshman Writing Intensive Seminar (FWIS) 100 is a course designed for Freshmen who need more time and support on their writing before moving on to the general Freshmen Writing Intensive Seminar. The FWIS is also connected with the Program for Writing Communication. I discovered this opportunity through word-of-mouth and a listing in the Humanities Graduate Student Weekly sent out by my program's administrator.
The course caps at 16 students and takes one writing coach per section. Writing coaches are responsible for conducting one-on-one coaching sessions with each student in the FWIS 100 course, in order to help them work through course writing assignments and achieve their academic writing goals.
The writing coach position caps at 10 hours per week and is a great opportunity for graduate students to expand their income while also gaining skills in pedagogy and offering individualized feedback. Acting as a writing coach for FWIS 100 can act as a gateway for obtaining FWIS instructor of record positions in the future. Writing coach positions are usually occupied by graduate students in the Humanities and the Social Sciences. I would recommend this role to anyone who has a serious interest in teaching, rhetoric, and writing
Fondren Fellows
The Fondren Fellows program is a paid two-semester long research assistantship that is open to undergraduate and graduate students. The program consists of various research projects that applicants have the ability to choose from. I first heard about the program from a fellow graduate student who took part in the Fondren Fellows the previous year. They had great things to say about the hours, supervisors, and general productivity of the work, so I decided to look up the projects and found one that was perfect for me. I ended up working with the Red Book of Houston project, writing biographies and conducting research on individuals in the Red Book of Houston.
The Fondren Fellows is not limited to students just in the Humanities and researchers cross multiple disciplines. The program is a great opportunity for those who are interested in conducting public-facing research.
The work of Fondren Fellows is not overly demanding and overall hours cap at 200 hours; however, students are in no way expected to complete all 200 hours. Responsibilities vary depending on the project; however, all Fondren Fellows are usually expected to attend short weekly check-ins with their supervisors. My check-ins were all over ZOOM and no more than 15-minutes. Fellows also attend monthly meetings with the Fondren Fellows program director, these meetings are designed to get Fellows to interface with each other, other mentors, and to offer them support with different skills. Finally, Fellows are required to present their work in either the Fondren Fellows showcase or another conference. Presentation at a conference is an excellent way to circulate and get feedback on your work, expose yourself to the work of others, and acts as a good CV line. My year, I presented a poster at Rice University’s Humanities Day, received some wonderful feedback, and helped others learn about an important Houston figure.
Key Takeaways and Things to Remember
The positions listed here are certainly not exhaustive. There are plenty of paid teaching assistant, research, and instructor of record positions on campus for graduate students to get involved in.
Remember that these positions are designed for students, meaning that they structure the workload around the busy schedules of graduate students, are flexible, and ensure that you are not over-extended and that your central focus is your graduate studies.
Also remember that this work is in no way mandatory. Many students live solely on stipend for most of their graduate education and are able to sustain. The choice to take on extra paid positions is up to you, how much you can handle, and what your goals are.
The most important thing is that students know that there are options and opportunities on campus. Graduate education is not easy and is time consuming, so taking on extra employment, especially if it is not structured for students, can be taxing, so before looking outside of campus, check your email listing, check flyers around campus, and talk to your peers and advisors, there’s usually something out there that pays and adds to your CV/resume.
About the author
Jae'la Solomon is from Dallas, TX and is a current PhD student in English. She got her B.A. in English Literature at the University of North Texas in 2022.
Further reading:
Getting an Internship as a PhD Student.
How Much Is Your Ph.D. Stipend Really Worth? A Cost of Living Breakdown
Transitioning from Rice to Rice: Undergrad to Grad Experience – Extra Income