A full-time research doctorate in accounting is ordinarily funded, but the value of an offer depends on much more than its headline stipend. Compare what is guaranteed, what you must do for it, and what it will cost to live where the program is located.
What a funded offer usually contains
- Tuition support, including any nonresident portion
- A living stipend or fellowship
- Individual health coverage, with separate terms for dependents
- A stated period of support, conditional on satisfactory progress
- Research, teaching, or other assistantship expectations
An offer that requires substantial tuition payments is materially outside the norm for a full-time research doctorate. Ask the program to explain the funding model and compare it carefully with funded alternatives.
Compare the whole package
| Item | What to confirm in writing |
|---|---|
| Guaranteed support | How many academic years are covered, and what “satisfactory progress” means |
| Payment calendar | Whether support covers the academic year or the full year, and whether summer funding is guaranteed |
| Tuition and fees | Whether tuition, nonresident tuition, and mandatory student fees are all covered |
| Health insurance | What the student pays and the separate cost of spouse or dependent coverage |
| Assistantship | Expected hours, research duties, teaching duties, and when students teach independently |
| Research support | Conference travel, data, experiments, software, equipment, and computing |
| Additional years | What support is available if the dissertation requires more time than the guarantee |
Translate the offer into a budget
Do not compare stipends without comparing housing, transportation, insurance, taxes, and family costs. Use the rent you would actually pay and the household you actually have. The MIT Living Wage Calculator can provide a common starting point, but your own likely rent and insurance costs are more useful than any general benchmark.
Ask a current student what they pay for housing, whether they need a car, and which program charges surprised them. Their experience is often more informative than a university's “cost of attendance” estimate.
Taxes and withholding
Tuition support, fellowships, and assistantship wages can be treated differently for tax and withholding purposes, and the answer depends on the student's circumstances. Do not copy a tax rule or withholding percentage from an advising website. Start with IRS Publication 970, then ask the university how the specific offer is reported and consult a qualified adviser when needed.
External fellowships
Awards, eligibility rules, and application windows change frequently. Rather than maintaining a list here, use The PhD Project's funding directory, professional associations, and the program's graduate coordinator to find opportunities for the cycle in which you apply. Ask whether an external award supplements or replaces institutional support.
Questions to ask before accepting
- What exactly is guaranteed, for how long, and under what conditions?
- Which tuition charges and mandatory fees would I still pay?
- Is summer support guaranteed or dependent on a separate assignment?
- What would health coverage cost for my actual household?
- How many hours of assistantship work are expected, and how often will I teach?
- What research, data, equipment, and conference expenses are covered?
- What did a current student with circumstances like mine pay for housing last year?
- How is the stipend reported for tax purposes, and is tax withheld?
- What happens financially if I need additional time?
Before you respond
Some graduate funding offers may fall under the Council of Graduate Schools' April 15 Resolution. Read the live resolution, participation information, and your offer; this site does not reproduce those changing terms.
Program pages are useful for planning, but the written offer governs. Compare offers line by line and ask for clarification when any item is missing or described only as “competitive.”