LATEST POSTS FROM THE BLOG

• Purchasing a Home as a Graduate Student with Fellowship Income
  In this episode, Emily interviews Jonathan Sun, a second-year PhD student at Yale University. Jonathan purchased a house in New Haven after his first year in graduate school. He shares the process he […]
• How to Read Your PhD Program Offer Letter
  Congratulations on receiving an official offer of admission to a PhD program! This is truly an exhilarating period in your academic career. After celebrating your admission and letting the giddiness […]
• Form 1098-T: Still Causing Trouble for Funded Graduate Students
  Form 1098-T is issued to many (though not all) graduate students and reflects some of their higher education income and expenses. Until this year, the 1098-T was rife with problems for funded […]
• This Postbac Fellow Saves 30% of Her Income through Simple Living and a SciComm Side Hustle
  In this episode, Emily interviews Maya Gosztyla, a postbac fellow at the National Institutes of Health in Rockville, MD who saves approximately 30% of her income from her stipend and freelance […]
• Weird Tax Situations for Fellowship Recipients
  One of the most puzzling tax scenarios that is common in academia but almost unheard of outside of it is fellowship funding because it neither a wage nor self-employment income. Fellowships […]
• Weird Tax Situations for Fully Funded Grad Students
  “Actually, I get paid to go to school.” How many times have you said that to distant relatives and new acquaintances? If you look at it that way, being a funded grad student is a pretty […]
• Do I Owe Income Tax on My Fellowship?
  Postbac, graduate student, and postdoc fellows frequently ask whether their fellowships are considered taxable income. PhD-type fellowships that are not reported on a W-2 are non-compensatory income. […]
• Using Data to Improve the Postdoc Experience (Including Salary and Benefits)
  In this episode, Emily interview Dr. Gary McDowell, the executive director of Future of Research. Future of Research is an advocacy organization that uses data to empower early-career researchers. […]
• Negotiating PhD Funding Offers: This Grad Student Did It Successfully
  In this episode, Emily interviews John Vsetecka, a second-year PhD student in History at Michigan State University. When John was a prospective PhD student, he attempted to negotiate the stipend and […]
• How to Prepare Your Grad Student Tax Return (Tax Year 2018)
  It’s common for funded graduate students to be a bit intimidated by preparing their own tax returns, particularly if they are inexperienced in doing so. The sources of PhD student funding, […]