SURVIVE

OVERVIEW

The highest-paid employment position for UMassD graduate student employees, a Distinguished Doctoral Fellow, is only ~42% of the living wage. The average Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant makes only ~25% of the living wage, and the average hourly-paid grad worker makes only 11% of the living wage.

University employment pay DOES NOT NEARLY COVER BASIC LIVING EXPENSES, resulting in a living nightmare for many UMassD graduate students.

For the 2024-2025 academic year, minimal basic living expenses are AT LEAST $2,100 per month ($25,200 per year), excluding the annual $1,750 in averaged mandatory school fees and the $2,790 mandatory health insurance, and after income taxes. For details, see the Minimum Expenses section below. Therefore, a student needs to earn at least $34,200 annual gross income (before $4,470 in income taxes) to afford MINIMAL basic living expenses!

UMassD graduate students are truly impoverished, and must supplement their university income with money from family, rely heavily on credit cards, get a second job off campus, etc. or quit school. Over 100 graduate students drop out of UMass Dartmouth every semester (see the Dropout Rate graph).

HOW TO SURVIVE

With no exaggerations, to survive at UMass Dartmouth the graduate students:

• Leave the university (over 100 graduate students drop out of UMass Dartmouth every semester; see the Dropout Rate graph)

• Live with 5 students in a 2-bedroom apartment

• Live in substandard housing with rat and bedbug infestations

• Are sometimes homeless

• Eat cheap, unhealthy bulk foods

• Eat 1 meal per day

• Get Medicaid instead of the university's student health insurance

• Work cash-only

• Accrue large amounts of credit card debt

• Borrow a lot of money from family

• Do not have a car

• Do not have a dentist

• Do not have an optometrist

• Do not have pets

• Do not get haircuts

• Do not buy clothes

• Do not see movies, eat at restaurants, attend shows, travel, or any other leisure activities

MINIMUM EXPENSES

Minimum monthly Cost of Living (as of March 2024):

• at least ~$1,100 for off-campus housing near a bus stop, excluding utilities

• at least ~$150 for utilities

• at least ~$100 for internet & cell phone services

• at least ~$250 for food

• at least ~$350 for personal expenses, with health insurance

• at least ~$100 for transportation, without a personal vehicle

• at least ~$50 for dental & vision expenses, without these insurances

AT LEAST ~$2,100 MINIMUM NET INCOME IS NEEDED EVERY MONTH, after mandatory school fees and income taxes ($25,200 per year MINIMUM, after mandatory school fees and income taxes)

AT LEAST ~$34,200 MINIMUM GROSS ANNUAL INCOME IS NEEDED!
UMASS DARTMOUTH PAYS ONLY $24,000 MAXIMUM (and ~$16,000 on average).

The above Cost of Living budget is truly minimal (only a modest 60% of the living wage), and doesn't include a car or dental insurance which are also important.

The Cost of Living estimate is for 1 unmarried adult, and based on responses to the GSU's recent survey of UMassD graduate students as well as MIT’s Living Wage Calculator for Bristol County MA. MIT's calculated living wage is $42,277 after income taxes (a $49,500 living wage before student income taxes); this amount is to live comfortably, but not lavishly. For detailed information about income taxes, see the Taxes page.

DISTINGUISHED DOCTORAL FELLOW INCOME

(as of January 2025)

The Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship is the highest-possible paid position for a UMass Dartmouth graduate student, and pays only ~42% of the living wage! A Distinguished Doctoral Fellowship is a research-based position "issued only to outstanding applicants... with outstanding GRE scores and GPAs from excellent schools" (quoted from the Graduate Studies Office's webpage here).

Distinguished Fellows are usually paid through the summer, and thus have a higher pay than other grad student employment. The College/School Fee is waived for Fellows (but for no other employment on campus).

• A Distinguished Doctoral Fellow's gross stipend is $24,000 per year (see page 3 of the Grad Studies Office's Guidelines)

• Income taxes are approximately $2,640 per year (see our Taxes page)

• Annual Net Income is $24,000 - ~$2,640 = ~$21,360

• The averaged annual university mandatory fees of $800 (excluding the waived average College/School Fee of ~$950), plus the university's mandatory health insurance of ~$2,790, is $3,590 (see our Fees webpage), and paid with post-tax income

• ANNUAL POST-FEE NET INCOME is $21,360 - $3,590 = ~$17,770 per year. That's ONLY ~$1,480 PER MONTH for rent, utilities, food, phone, medicines, haircut, etc.

THIS INCOME IS NOT ENOUGH TO COVER $2,100 PER MONTH MINIMUM LIVING EXPENSES!

And this is the highest-paying job possible for UMassD grad students!!

TEACHING/RESEARCH ASSISTANT INCOME

(as of January 2025)

A Teaching Assistantship or Research Assistantship pays only ~25% of the living wage.

• The gross stipend for a Teaching or Research Assistant is about $16,000 per year (see page 4 of the Grad Studies Office's Guidelines)

• Income taxes are approximately $720 per year (see our Taxes page)

• Annual Net Income is $16,000 - ~$720 = ~$15,280

• The averaged annual university mandatory fees of $1,750, plus the university's mandatory health insurance of ~$2,790, is $4,540 (see our Fees webpage), and paid with post-tax income

• ANNUAL POST-FEE NET INCOME is $15,280 - $4,540 = ~$10,740 per year. That's ONLY $895 PER MONTH for rent, utilities, food, phone, medicines, haircut, etc.

THIS INCOME IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO COVER $2,100 PER MONTH MINIMUM LIVING EXPENSES!

It can be even more difficult because:

• Teaching Assistantships are often given for 1 semester at a time, not for the full academic year. Their income is not guaranteed, and Teaching Assistants are often hired for only 1 semester per year.

• A class may be canceled just before the semester starts due to low enrollment, and the assistantship is nullified with only 1 or 2 weeks advance notice

• Teaching Assistantships can be as little as $10,200 (for College of Visual & Performing Arts students)

HOURLY EMPLOYEE INCOME

(as of January 2025)

A hourly-paid job pays only ~11% of the living wage.

The average hourly-paid employee's gross income is $9,600 per year (typically 20 hours per week for 8 months at $15 per hour, the MA minimum wage)

• • Income taxes are approximately $260 per year (see our Taxes page)

  • Annual Net Income is $9,600 - $260 = $9,340

  • The averaged annual university mandatory fees of $1,750, plus the university's mandatory health insurance of ~$2,790, is $4,540 (see our Fees webpage), and paid with post-tax income

  • ANNUAL POST-FEE NET INCOME is $9,340 - $4,540 = $4,800 per year. That's ONLY $400 PER MONTH for rent, utilities, food, phone, medicines, haircut, etc.

THIS INCOME IS NOT NEARLY ENOUGH TO COVER $2,100 PER MONTH MINIMUM LIVING EXPENSES!

It can be even more difficult because:

• Hourly-paid jobs are very competitive to obtain, since undergrad students can also work hourly jobs

• It is difficult to actually find 20 hours per week, often the hours are reduced to save money (with little or no advance notice)

• Hourly-paid job contracts can also be for only 15, 10, or just 5 hours per week; multiple concurrent hourly jobs are needed to get the full 20 hours per week

• Hourly-paid employees do not receive a tuition waiver

LAW STUDENT ASSISTANT INCOME

(as of January 2025)

A Law School Assistantship does not pay enough to cover even the mandatory school fees, and thus is a net negative annual income.

The average Law Student Assistant's gross income is $2,500 per year (unpublished)

• • Income taxes are $0 per year (see our Taxes page)

  • The averaged annual university mandatory fees of $1,750, plus the university's mandatory health insurance of ~$2,790, is $4,540 (see our Fees webpage), and paid with post-tax income

  • ANNUAL POST-FEE NET INCOME is $2,500 - $4,540 = -$2,040 (NEGATIVE) per year after paying the mandatory school fees and school health insurance.

LAW SCHOOL JOBS ARE NOT EVEN INCOME!!

It can be even more difficult because:

• First-year Law students are not eligible for Assistantships.

• Assistantships are often given for 1 semester at a time, not for the full academic year. Their income is not guaranteed, and Assistants are often hired for only 1 semester per year.

• As additional compensation, the Law School allows their Assistants to register for mandatory classes before other Law students. We're not joking.

EXTRA INCOME

During the school year, additional income is very difficult to obtain because:

• Students are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week on campus during the school year (federal law)

• International students are not allowed to work off campus during the school year (federal law)

• Domestic students can work a 2nd job off campus, but then they are working full-time and working on their degree only part-time. It becomes very difficult to make progress on their studies.

• Regarding summer income, see the Summer Income section

• Regarding student loans, see the Student Loans section

SUMMER INCOME

Earning summer income is extremely difficult for several reasons:

• Teaching Assistantships are extremely rare during the summers, because very few undergraduate classes are in session

• It is very difficult to find an hourly-paid on-campus job in the summers, as most of the university is shut down

• It is very difficult for international students to find an off-campus CPT internship in their field because most companies are not CPT-certified

• Students can go home and work in the summer, but then they aren't progressing toward their degree

STUDENT LOANS

Taking out student loans is not feasible for many graduate students.

• Most graduate students have already taken out student loans to pay for their undergraduate degree, and already carry a heavy debt burden. Some graduate students have even reached the student loan cap.

• Tuition costs ~$22,500 per year for a typical out-of-state student (graduate schools typically recruit nation-wide due to the specialization of their field).

  • • Master's degree programs are typically 2 years long, the Nursing program is 3 years long, and PhD programs are typically 5 years long. Owing $45,000, $67,500, or $112,500 in student loans is a terrible way to graduate!

    • The Law School's tuition typically costs ~$50,200 per year for an out-of-state student, and the standard Law program is typically 3 years long. Graduating Law School with ~$150,000 of student loan debt is very difficult!

• International students are not eligible for US student loans, and loans for overseas study are usually private and expensive. Often collateral is required, which students don't have. Also, the currency exchange rates can fluctuate greatly depending on political climates.

CONTRACT TIPS

Here are some helpful tips to know when you are being hired as a UMassD graduate student employee.

1. There's an unofficial rule when hiring graduate student employees: For some unspoken reason, grad workers cannot be hired for more than $25/hour (or equivalent). We do not know why, but it can definitely affect your job contract!

2. Your job contract start and end dates are not standardized, and are entered by your department administrative assistant.

• To avoid a surprise pay gap between contracts, ask your admin assistant to start your next job contract the next calendar day after your old contract ends (even if it's a Saturday, or not at the beginning of a pay period)!

1. Your paychecks will be issued according to the Payroll Calendar: See the "Pay Calendar" section of HR's New Employee Essentials webpage.

2. Your employment contract may coincide with the Academic Calendar (or the Law School Academic Calendar).

OFFICIAL INFO

The only available information about graduate student employment at UMass Dartmouth is in the Graduate Studies Office's Guidelines for Graduate Student Assistantship/Fellowship Financial Support pdf document, which does not appear in search results (likely on purpose). This document is linked from the Graduate Studies Office's Current Student Resources webpage.

The Law School does not publish its student employment information.

COST OF ATTENDANCE WARNING

The university provides several different total amounts for their estimated Cost of Attendance, but the numbers don't agree and are all wildly inaccurate! Such as:

• https://www.umassd.edu/financialaid/cost/

• https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/school-of-law/admissions/admissions-dept/tuition-and-financial-aid/full-time-cost-of-attendance-budget.pdf

• https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/admissions/undergraduate/international/International-Student-Cost-of-Attendance.pdf

• https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/international-student-scholar-center/Scholars-living-expenses.pdf

• https://www.umassd.edu/media/umassdartmouth/international-student-scholar-center/Declaration_and_Certification_of_Finances.pdf

• https://my.umassd.edu/ --> COIN account --> Financial Aid Center > View Current Financial Aid > select the current award year > Financial Aid Summary, click on the Estimated Financial Aid Budget dollar value

• The I-20 issued by the university to international students

All of the university-provided Cost of Attendance information is very inaccurate, and should not be used!

SUBMIT FEEDBACK

If any information presented here is inaccurate or questionable, please let us know ASAP by submitting the Feedback Form below! The resources we provide can be valuable if correct, but harmful if incorrect. We are committed to providing all UMass Dartmouth graduate students with the most accurate information possible.

We also welcome any updates or additional info you have; please help us improve by submitting your suggestions.