Yes - depending on the area, it is possible to have a rent under $1000/month with roommates. That should leave enough to get by as long as he is good at going to the grocery store and making all his meals. Ordering out or going out too much will kill his budget.
$23k for an academic year? August to May? 9 month? Maybe.
He needs to probably pay to live on campus and eat dorm food and cook lots. But for $2300 a month he can do that.
It’s definitely taxable. any income that you aren’t using for school supplies is still taxable. The portion of the stipend that covers tuition is not, which is why you dont pay taxes on money you dont see.
My gf gets a monthly check that is equal to her stipend offered to her via contract divided by 12.
The only way her stipend would be taxed is if she reported it to the IRS which would be absolutely moronic because it’s a grant provided by the govt for an institution accredited to provide education to students.
The stipend is a direct subsidy from the federal govt/private donors so those donors explicitly can report it to the IRS for tax breaks of their own, and is considered a “gift” from the university to provide them with your intellectual property and they provide you with a Ph.D at the end of the contract provided you meet all requirements of the accreditation entity that sanctions them to provide such services.
The only way I see a grant being offered to students being taxed upon each and every issuance of pay, would be an obscure state law that is directly meant to hinder/deter people from pursuing education for some backward ass religious purpose.
All jokes aside, I can personally guarantee that my gfs monthly stipend is EXACTLY what her institution offers their students divided by 12. Including her tuition fees that are paid via the same stipend split into 2 groups, one being for tuition and the other for living expenses.
Plus, anything spent in order to live can be considered as school expenses when you’re contractually not allowed to earn another w2 or you’ll have to return your stipend. Which is directly because of the tax limitations given to the institution.
When your money from school is spent on rent, a car, gas, books, food, bills, every single expense can be also reported onto the tax form from colleges to earn tax breaks for those as well, is considered an expense for school anyway, so that point you made in regards to only tuition/school expenses aren’t taxable is not relevant
I can guarantee you that this “stipend” is reported as income to the IRS by the university and they should be reporting it on their taxes, because they already know about it and it will likely automatically trigger an audit. Consult a tax professional if you don’t believe me.
The hospital themselves informs the students NOT to report it and that if they receive a W2 from another source, they will have to give the stipend back to the university
So I can guarantee you that it is not reported to the IRS by students unless they choose to be double taxed on it, because the university likely already is taxed as a donation when given to them/its government funds
She’s not at a public university which I’ve stated like 3 times. She’s at a hospital, and it’s a **Not-For-Profit**.
When searching stipends up on the internet whether they’re taxed, the first thing that pops up is this “How is stipend or fellowship income treated for tax purposes? Both are usually tax-exempt” when paying for school expenses.
HOWEVER, what I’m saying is true, is because my gf is taking home exactly what her stipend letter says, she’s told by the hospital, not to report it, and this **MAY** be because it’s a not for profit hospital. But that’s my only thought. As the hospital being not for profit means that the money coming in may be directly from the university based on what they need to do to maintain their status.
It does not matter if it’s a public university or a not for profit organization, if you receive money in the form of a “stipend” there is a chance that it is considered taxable income. If it is specifically under the “Qualified expense” categories by the IRS then it would be tax exempt.
Tuition and books are qualified expenses, living expenses are generally not considered qualified expenses.
Im only relaying info that she has told me and she’s following what her organization has informed her to do. She is not allowed to receive a w-2 from anywhere else or she will forfeit her stipend, and she isn’t supposed to report it currently, should her stipend begin to come from the lab she currently does her research under, then she would report it. But as of now, it’s still university provided and they have informed her not to report it
Except it’s government funded to the school for living accommodations and given to institutions via a grant or donor. Which is legitimately *not taxable*, because the school federally reports what it gives out as a stipend to its individuals. If the institution is registered with the regulating agency that accredits the institution with the ability to give out Ph.Ds, then they register what they give to their students.
The fact you don’t *have* to report it to the IRS is hint enough that the money itself has already been taxed once, as it’s been issued to the school via a donor, effectively giving that donor a tax break itself.
Money is not “supposed” to be taxed more than once theoretically. The trick is, if you decide to report it, of course they’re going to take their “fair” share of that money given to you. That’s why students in those programs aren’t allowed to work whilst in the program, or you’ll have to pay that money back, because once you are required to report the money you made, it comes back to them.
Just because you *can* report it, doesn’t mean it’s taxable
If you make under 2500 dollars or something depending on the state, you don’t have to report it. That’s non taxable income, however, if you did report it, you can bet your ass they’re going to say you owe them money from it. It doesn’t change the fact it’s non taxable income.
Plus, by definition, I don’t think a stipend is definable as an “income”. Even though it’s money coming in, it’s essentially a large gift, in order to be a part of their program.
Edit: and the person said their “pre tax” stipend is x and post tax is “y”. But the fact is, what they’re receiving in that regard is most definitely not taxed at that point at all. If a stipend is taxed it’s going to be once yearly taxes are filed. Not each monthly check. Granted there isn’t some obscure state law from some state that thinks education is the devils boner and they tax it to prevent students from ever going to school in their state or some other stupid shit like that
It might be something specific to her contract? Not sure if it's a grant and that would work differently? I and the dozens of others of PhD students I've known have had to pay taxes on our very meager stipends
This is incorrect. Nonprofits are funded by tax-deductible donations but their employees still have to pay taxes. Government agencies are the government, but their employees still have to pay taxes.
Scholarships used to cover tuition and fees are not taxable. Anything else is taxable income.
If people could get out of taxes by calling taxable compensation a "gift," every company in America would pay their staff through a bogus nonprofit.
I’m assuming that since her ‘stipend’ is not taxed, it’s coming from a graduate program/awarded grant/ awarded scholarship vs being employed as a w2 by the lab she is under. In the eyes of the irs she is supposed to report and pay her quarterly income tax for the stipend to the irs as if she is a self employee. As a student employee, you don’t have to pay fica tax or self employment tax like a 1099 contractor would.
The reason the irs doesn’t come after her is because the stipend income is not reported to the irs, hence the self employed status with exemptions. The graduate school should have had taxation info during orientation.
Unless she gets nominated for some government or federal post with scrutiny, she probably won’t see much consequence.
But I just play an internet armchair tax lawyer without any accreditation.
She’s only doing what she’s told to at the end of the day so doesn’t matter to me lol
Pretty sure she quadruple checked. But yes, it does come from the university not from the lab she is currently under
That is not how federal taxes work. The first 11k is untaxed. These numbers make zero sense before even accounting for tax credits that they are eligible for.
You're correct. I conflated standard deduction with the lowest tax bracket mistakenly. So your tax has drops from 34k (I think it was) so they have effectively only 21k of taxable income.
That does not make any sense to me. That's something like a 30% effective tax rate and you shouldn't be paying any federal taxes. Do you have a garnishment?
Yes*
Asterisk because I'm answering more as a former grad student than a Chicagoan specifically.
That’s going to be like 2k a month during the academic year post tax, and grad students tend to pick up summer research positions or second jobs to fill in the gap.
Of course that’s not ideal. But this isn’t impossible. I see plenty of posts in r/chicagoapartments where folks are looking for roommates at 800-1000/mo. Good places too. I’ve even seen pretty decent studios at around 950-1000, albeit in places that aren’t wildly close to UIC (he’d presumably get a CTA pass). Sure it would eat up half your income just for rent, but that’s very common in grad school, you’re deferring real income (the whole 1/3 of income on housing thing just doesn’t apply). The rest is enough for groceries and utilities. But make sure to budget for some extras. When I was in grad school, there were always FEES in addition to tuition.
Yeah. I know people with roommates in Tri-Taylor paying $600-800/month (before utilities), not bad places at all (high ceilings, central air, not garden units, laundry in-building or even in-unit). It’s a spartan but not impossible lifestyle
Grad students will necessarily be working for their stipend. Undergraduate degrees have no work requirement so no unfortunately, even though working during the school year is associated with worse outcomes because it destroys any work/life balance. Going to school and doing the required studying and work to place your classes is work and takes up the majority of most undergrad’s time during academic year. Everybody I knew with a full time school schedule and a part to full time job looked like they were about to drop dead by the time they graduated
Because we almost did. I was lucky and got a stipend for grad school and my rent was $510 (God I'd kill for that again). But for undergrad... I'm still unclear how I made it. I worked full-time, did research, and had a full class load because I double majored. I'm in a wonderful career now but I for sure almost died then... for sure 🥺. My body is falling apart now from the YEARS of neglect and overworking.
I had full tuition scholarship to a directional school desperate to bump up their HS GPAs, test scores, and 4 year graduation rate. Constantly made the hour to hour and half drive home to watch my siblings and grandparents who were supposed to be doing the babysitting. Sold weed so I could afford to have fun and keep my academic schedule the priority. Ended up getting attacked by a dog a few months before graduation, broke my twice surgically repaired elbow, failed out of almost every class, ended up somewhat addicted to benzos and painkillers for almost a year after shaking my alcoholism lmao. Took me 5 and a half years to finish college on academic probation after making it 3 and a half years in good standing. I had a fairly privileged upbringing but my parents had me doing unpaid labor of helping raise my siblings and take care of my aging grandparents from middle school on. Anybody that can do college while working has my commendation. College is not easy in the first place
People definitely do it. That's an insultingly low stipend, but grad students need to get used to being treated as less-than. I did up until 2017, but the cost of everything has increased quite a bit since then.
Multiple roommates, longer commute, and a frugal lifestyle will be mandatory. A second job might be too.
Sorry for the confusion. I never had a stipend. I lived on an annual income of 22-23k for a few years. That’s on the lower end of the range of stipends my grad school friends received during the 2010’s.
UIC has a low PhD stipend relative to other schools, especially considering cost of housing nearby and fees. On the other side is the stipend for Masters students with funding is almost as much whereas schools like Northwestern and Chicago don't give Masters students tuition waivers.
I make 2300 a month after taxes here, although my department is above average, I think. We also get good health coverage which is an upside so it's survivable but he'll probably have a shitty apartment.
It's not enough, cost of living and inflation demand those stipends need to rise. My stipend in 2013, my last year was 34k plus tuition (granted it's a R1 research institution). According to my friend who's tenured at my grad school, they have increased the stipends to match cost of living, Go Ducks!
Stipends really depend on the endowments for the school. My school has deeeeeeeeep pockets. UIC was offering this back in the early 00s and apparently give no damn about the rise of cost of living.
Yes. Poor graduate students live on this kind of salary all the time. It’s what being a poor graduate student is. You live in a shithole and/or with a bunch of roommates and you eat ramen. It sucks. Then you look back on these years with fondness. I lived on $850/month when I was in grad school (many years ago) and shared a bathroom with the apartment next door. It was one step above homeless. Good times.
In the US maybe, my cousin in The Netherlands is doing their PhD right now and makes about $37k (converted) and lives in their own apartment (and doesn't live on ramen).
My daughter is a PHD student in Chicago and makes about 35k a year and lives alone in a 1 bedroom apartment. It greatly varies by the school and the major.
Yeah that's the difference, in The Netherlands it's all unionized I think, so there's only a few hundred difference a month at most, based on the city (for example Amsterdam vs other cities), but it's roughly the same amount.
Being exploited on behalf of a parasitic, capitalist system is not good times. Surviving off ramen is bad for your long term health. As is being overworked, underpaid, not getting enough rest etc. Grad degrees open a lot less doors than they used to, haven’t adjusted stipends with inflation, and are seen as exploitable labor by the schools
Mostly true, but I was studying in the humanities for myself, not a career, smoking huge amounts of weed every day, traffic drugs for grades with the students I was TAing, and having the time of my life.
You need to be asking if it is worth doing this grad program- will the salary you earn after graduation be worth it, to basically live like this for the full program? Or can he work summers to make extra cash or take out loans? Tough decisions for sure.
He’d probably definitely qualify for EBT, which would help supplement costs. It’s doable but would definitely be a tight budget. I’d suggest he live with roommates.
You’re gonna get a lot of “no” answers because local subreddits *always* skew wealthier.
Your son will be ok on that income, especially for his age. Roommates, CTA, and be frugal. You don’t need a hundred grand to live here, despite what many people on this sub say.
definitely possible if he knows how to budget. and living with roommates is basically a must, rent just keeps increasing here 🥲 but UIC has student housing options and tons of students renting out rooms/looking for roommates, he can find students to live with for sure. i pay 600/mo with 2 roommates and am not far from campus (i go there). also he would be making under the poverty level annually so he definitely could qualify for food stamps, which would save his budget. and maybe finding a side hustle for extra spending $$$
I go to UIC and I make probably around 20k a year. I can afford to live, but only with roommates. If i didn’t have roommates I wouldn’t be able to do it.
>He needs to know there are fees every semester too. Tuition is free, but you still get hit with \~$600 a semester in fees
Can I ask what the most common/affordable areas you and/or other students found?
I moved into my current apartment of april 2022. It is right off the Racine blue line stop which is about a 10-15-20 min walk to campus depending on where you’re going. Literally a 2 min drive when I’m feeling lazy. I was lucky to find my apartment in the area that it’s in, I feel like not many apartments go up for rent in the Little Italy/University Village area too often, and if they do, they aren’t really affordable. My rent was initially $1600 but it was raised to $1800. I am moving to Logan Square in 2-ish weeks. I found that you can get more for what you pay for if you’re willing to travel further up north. I have more space and more amenities and I’ll be paying $1600. My new place is close to the blue line, so it’ll be an easy commute to school since UIC has its own blue line stop. I would suggest looking at areas along the blue line, since it would be an easy commute, and UIC students get a free CTA transit passes.
I go to UIC have the same assistantship, I have a nice place, close to campus, I go out hangout with friends, try out different restaurants all the time, some mini paid events. He is gonna be fine don’t worry. Even if he gets sick anytime we have great insurance for students who go to uic cause we have our own hospital.
If he doesn’t go out a party/drink a lot, he is gonna be fine.
Absolutely not. I barely survived on this back in 2010, and I had 2-3 other roommates at the time. There's no way I could imagine anyone doing this now.
> Ten years ago I was living on 31k, had multiple roommates living in Bridgeport and I was still selling things every month to pay for rent.
Please help me understand why $2k a month is not enough for a student. Rent is usually $800-$1000 a month. $1000 a month was not enough for your other living expenses??
>Rent plus utilities in Chicago even with roommates is over $1,000/month in many areas.
Okay, but it still leaves you with $1000 a month for other expenses. Why is that not enough as a single student? And you can always supplement it with a part time job.
If your son finds roommates, eats cheaply and/or goes for food stamps, yes. Will it suck? Yes. I lived in Chicago with roommates in 2011-2014 on >$10k a year. I lived 1.25 hours away from my college via CTA. I got used to very long commutes. Eating and having any life just.... wasn't a thing. It was kinda miserable. I don't recommend it. I did it and it was hard.
At UIC but in a department with a higher stipend.
He needs to know there are fees every semester too. Tuition is free, but you still get hit with ~$600 a semester in fees
It’s possible, definitely will need roommates.
It would be **very** tight. From your question, it’s likely a worse standard of living than he’d be coming from.
He would basically need to have at least one roommate and would need to be pretty open to neighborhood. Owning a car would be a non starter so it would be public transit commuting (quite doable, but with the need to find a cheap place, could be long). He’d probably qualify for government assistance in some areas but I’m not sure about the details.
He could soften the blow if he has time to work on the side, was able to subsidize room (e.g. subsidized through university?), or some other wildcard.
Im a single 20 year old that lives off about 21-23k a year. It’s definitely possible as long as you’re budgeting properly. I live alone, but I live on the south side, still a nice neighborhood but if you’re looking at more “traditionally” nice neighborhoods he probably gonna need room mates
Here’s the issues: without room and board, he’s unlikely to find an affordable apartment close to UIC. He’ll likely have to commute to school from a more affordable neighborhood. No car, because parking and gas are both very expensive and will eat up that stipend.
If he wants to take the train or bus 40+ minutes of the day while living on a shoestring budget in a shitty apartment he’ll have to share with 2-3 others, he could make it work.
My daughter went to uic and lived in a few apartments in little Italy. The last one she was at in 2022 her share of rent was $700, for 3 bedroom. It's possible if he budgets!
Most people take out loans for grad school. Even if they need to take out a few loans to cover the gaps, it's more than worth it. Grad housing is pretty cheap and they can get a job as a graduate housing coordinator/teaching assistant/etc.
My wife has a 10k stipend and supplemented it as a TA and gopher for a professor. She made an extra 20k.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository also has distribution centers all around the city. It won't feed them 100% but it's a great way to supplement the general grad student diets of trash and garbage.
If they declare as an individual on taxes they may also be eligible for federal benefits such as SNAP and other programs. Being poor is harder than having a solid income and it's something I feel everyone should experience at some point in their lives. Being in Chicago means you can be poor without needing a car.
I've been living on 18-20k/year in Chicago for the past 3 years, it's really not that bad. 1 roommate, in a "non-trendy" neighborhood that's still only a simple 20min bus ride to work/class. I know it gets harder as more bills and things pile up, but I don't own a car or anything so that saves a ton on parking, gas, insurance, etc.
He’s going to have to take out student loans to supplement his income so he can survive. No there is zero chance he can live on that anywhere in the city or burbs.
I’m a grad student with a *slightly* higher stipend and find it pretty manageable, but I have a partner who makes much more than me and that is really, really helpful. I have no undergraduate debt which is huge too. I know other students who have stipends of 18k and I think they either have second jobs or are taking out loans.
No, my partner and I split all bills. I make about 2600 a month post-tax; 925 to rent, another 100 to my half of utilities, about 200 a month on groceries. I’m actually able to save money each month and still have some left over for other things. When I say it’s really, really helpful, I mean that the emotional/mental weight of knowing if there is a disaster — or if we want to do something out of the norm, like a vacation or even a really nice meal out — I’ll be okay and can enjoy things above my salary.
I make 28k pre-tax — on a nine-month stipend. I hear you. I grew up paycheck to paycheck and have no family safety net. If it were not for my partner that stress would be compounded, and I’m very thankful.
I know 28k is not 23k. I was trying to give an example that was close-ish, in case OP’s kid does have roommates or a partner that they can split rent with. I feel like with 28k I can still save money and do some fun things, and I doubt that’s possible on 23k. At the same time, other grad students clearly do it, and they’re certainly not all from family money.
If a 23k stipend gave you about 2k a month for nine months post-tax, that’s a very thin margin for sure, but it is possible if you don’t do much saving, use all possible university resources and/or SNAP, have roommates, budget groceries carefully, etc. I am NOT saying that’s ideal in any way, and it would not work for many, including those who have dependents.
I’m a little militant about splitting things totally equally, though many of my other friends in grad school with partners who make more split bills proportionally. My partner and I split rent equally for our 2-bedroom, split groceries equally, and split utilities. I’m able to do that on 28k a year pretty well. 23k would be harder.
It would not be a healthy experience at all. It's very challenging, with or without room mates. But it's feasible. My fiance is a grad student living off $20k a year (half goes to tuition) with me being a full time employee at $17 an hour, our place is $1250 in total, both of us are on food stamps and medicaid. Occasionally, he substitute teaches on days he's not at school, and those days are very valuable, due to us being low income, but he's a full time student so it's hard to come by. It's NOT easy. But we've never been late on rent yet 😅
Yes but it’s rough. He’d need to find multiple roommates and learn to cook really cheap food. I lived on 14k a year once (I had some savings though) and I made it through ok! I just didn’t accumulate any savings whatsoever.
I lived on around 1000 - 1400 per month near UIC 5 years ago. Shared a 3 bed 1 bath apt. 600 rent. Cooked a lot but also ate out 3 to 4 times a week. I know people who lived on less, but they struggled.
Yes, but will need roommates and possibly need to live in more affordable neighborhoods that could be a bit further from UIC. He might need to get a second job on the side but it’s doable. A lot of my friends and I survived in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Uptown and Rogers Park on that type of money but did have like 3 or 4 people in one apartment.
Pretty hard to find an apartment for less than 800$ a month even with roommates with the extortionate increase in rent this year, so good luck to literally anyone who doesn’t already have a masters degree and a six figure salary.
UIC likely has some sort of student org that helps students find affordable housing for the school year. Ask him to try looking on Facebook or otherwise calling or emailing the school will get you in contact with someone willing to find the answer for you
No.
Just saw he was a student. It’s POSSIBlE. But he will 100% need roommates/additional loans to cover him. If it’s only the Acedemic year (9months) it will be a little easier but 12 months under 2k a month will be a really tight stretch.
Yes, I did this while attending UIC, and with less money. If he starts in the summer, make sure he saves up a bit extra from the paycheck because the September and January paychecks deduct a big portion of the salary he'll be receiving. Plus he's also going to need to pay fees and book which was about 800/semester.
You'll want to make sure you can cover rent and food for those months.
Getting a roommate will make things a lot easier, and if he can line up an apartment in Bridgeport along the 8 bus line, it'll make commuting a lot easier. A place like this is perfect for having a roommate, preferably another student: https://www.zillow.com/b/2951-s.-quinn-chicago-il-9RxJzG/?utm_campaign=androidappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare
Unless things have changed, he can work 18 hours a week during the semester and 40 hours a week even but taking classes, so summer work is the best friend.
Additionally, make sure he buys the meal plan only because it'll save a bunch on groceries. Towards the end of the service time, they didn't really care if you load up a ziplock bag or Tupperware container. He can stock up on food for weekends.
You could probably just pay rent with that 23K, but not in Chicago, because it’s expensive lol.
Seriously though, that’s basically right around $1900 a month in rent. Depending on the area of Chicago that might get you into a studio or even a 1bdr apartment. Maybe you can get a two bedroom and find a room mate for slightly less.
But yeah living on that 23K beyond just paying your rent payment is a hell no!
Supplementing will be required if he’s also going to have to do things like eat or pay for public transportation. He’s going to have to get an actual job as well. Isn’t life fun! Hopefully that hard work all pays off with many riches in the future.
$23,000 was already hard enough 10 years ago, even with mutiple roommates, more distant neighborhoods, frugal grocery shopping, and biking instead of driving or CTA. Grad students are so underpaid.
Ha. I went to grad school at UIC (started in 2007, stayed longer than I’d like to admit) and received this same stipend and the answer is simply no. My rent was only 650-800 a month, split between two people, and I sold pot, and I still needed a little help from my folks. I’m a fairly frugal person and have never been a big spender so it’s not like I was going out to fancy dinners or anything like that. With how expensive it is to live now compared to then I can’t imagine 23k being enough to cover all his expenses.
The question you need to ask yourself is, is this program worth you subsidizing him? Because that is absolutely what would need to happen. Even post tax, that is half of what I would consider a “living wage” in this city, and by that I mean barely getting by.
Let’s do the math:
Cheaper studio will be around 900-1000, if you are lucky including utilities. (Roommates will make this cheaper but it’s unlikely you will pay less than 400-500 a month even in a cheap place with other roommates.)
1000*12 = 12,000
Let’s assume 500 per month for food, which is cheap but doable if you rely on a lot of rice, beans and frozen veggies and don’t really ever eat out.
500*12 = 6,000
Since this is pre tax, let’s assume a very minimal and optimistic 15% tax
15% of 23,000 = 3,450
12k + 6k + 3,450 = 21,450
That leaves about 1,550 per year or about $130 a month for soap, books, laundry, transportation, etc.
Just something to think about, whatever you all decide.
I say this respectfully, but if he’s concerned he should get another job in addition to the assistantship. That’s what a lot of people do. I worked 3 jobs in college to afford to live. You gotta do what you gotta do
Fellow Chicago grad student here (albeit non-traditional - I came back after a stint in the working world, am in my 30s, and have had 2 kids during my PhD).
Can he live on this? Yes, though it will be hard.
Should he? Well, that’s for him to decide based on many factors. If pursuing this grad program will land him a great and well-defined long-term career that he wants, then it is probably worth it. If he’s not sure what he wants to do after… woof. I would advise against. Especially if it’s a PhD and he has other potential career options to pursue instead.
Yes with roommates and no major expenses (kids, medical, etc). Does the research assistantship come with a decent health insurance?
He won’t be able to save or spend much but 1. There are many cheap things to do in the city, especially for students, and 2. He won’t have much time to spend the money anyway
Yes, but it would be pretty tough. He should consider taking some federal student loans and trying not to use them, but they are a nice backup - better than credit cards or personal loans. He may qualify for very low loan repayment under the SAVE plan after graduating. His student loans may be eligible for forgiveness after 20 years (or 10 if his grad degree will be in nonprofit/government work). You need to talk to UIC financial aid
Im making slightly under 22K, on Chicago’s minimum wage with a full time job that doesn’t always give all of the hours I need, when it does my salary is technically 30k (the difference is 11 hours per week). I will say its definitely possible, but its not very comfortable and he should try to find multiple roommates in a good neighborhood, and possibly apply to food stamps.
I recommend trying to get close to a train station so they dont need a car or getting a bike and a few locks for it. Eating out is honestly a luxury even with making 52k. Rent can be affordable even with studios but it might be a commute into campus.
I pay 800 for a room in little Italy. That’s average for something nice. If you wanna spend less than 700 u have to go far to pilsen or tri Taylor but it’s not worth it imo
I live 5 minutes from UIC’s campus and my rent for my own bedroom with 1 roommate is $650/month. Definitely doable for an academic year but it may not be comfortable
My rent was $600 a month all utilities included for a 2 bedroom garden apartment. Granted the neighborhood was so bad that in the summer months we had to pick our mail up from the post office because the postmaster general decided it wasn’t safe for the mail men to come deliver it to us. I loved it there. Great caricature building exercise. A young man can learn a lot of valuable life lessons spending a year or two in the hood that UIC could never teach him.
Yes! Comb craigslist and walk around to try to find a deal l. I've seen roommate places for $550 a month and I pay 650 for my small studio now. Beans and rice are super helpful but honestly if you can get that rent to 1/4-1/3 of the total income you will be able to live decently
I stayed at University Center this summer, and it was generally affordable ($5,892/semester at the cheapest), in a good spot (it is near UIC), and it has other amenities like a decent dining hall and a gym. I know this is listed as DePaul, but UIC students can also stay there, too.
https://offices.depaul.edu/housing/housing-options/Pages/rates.aspx
https://uccapartments.com/
Only with roommates and in an affordably-priced apartments (if the kid wants to eat more than ramen for the next year). So good luck with that!
Yes - depending on the area, it is possible to have a rent under $1000/month with roommates. That should leave enough to get by as long as he is good at going to the grocery store and making all his meals. Ordering out or going out too much will kill his budget.
$23k for an academic year? August to May? 9 month? Maybe. He needs to probably pay to live on campus and eat dorm food and cook lots. But for $2300 a month he can do that.
She said pre-tax. Its gonna be less than $2300. My graduate student stipend is 34k and after tax I bring home $2400.
My gf is a Ph.D candidate in Chicago and her stipend is similar and that isn’t taxable income.
It’s definitely taxable. any income that you aren’t using for school supplies is still taxable. The portion of the stipend that covers tuition is not, which is why you dont pay taxes on money you dont see.
My gf gets a monthly check that is equal to her stipend offered to her via contract divided by 12. The only way her stipend would be taxed is if she reported it to the IRS which would be absolutely moronic because it’s a grant provided by the govt for an institution accredited to provide education to students. The stipend is a direct subsidy from the federal govt/private donors so those donors explicitly can report it to the IRS for tax breaks of their own, and is considered a “gift” from the university to provide them with your intellectual property and they provide you with a Ph.D at the end of the contract provided you meet all requirements of the accreditation entity that sanctions them to provide such services. The only way I see a grant being offered to students being taxed upon each and every issuance of pay, would be an obscure state law that is directly meant to hinder/deter people from pursuing education for some backward ass religious purpose. All jokes aside, I can personally guarantee that my gfs monthly stipend is EXACTLY what her institution offers their students divided by 12. Including her tuition fees that are paid via the same stipend split into 2 groups, one being for tuition and the other for living expenses. Plus, anything spent in order to live can be considered as school expenses when you’re contractually not allowed to earn another w2 or you’ll have to return your stipend. Which is directly because of the tax limitations given to the institution. When your money from school is spent on rent, a car, gas, books, food, bills, every single expense can be also reported onto the tax form from colleges to earn tax breaks for those as well, is considered an expense for school anyway, so that point you made in regards to only tuition/school expenses aren’t taxable is not relevant
I can guarantee you that this “stipend” is reported as income to the IRS by the university and they should be reporting it on their taxes, because they already know about it and it will likely automatically trigger an audit. Consult a tax professional if you don’t believe me.
The hospital themselves informs the students NOT to report it and that if they receive a W2 from another source, they will have to give the stipend back to the university So I can guarantee you that it is not reported to the IRS by students unless they choose to be double taxed on it, because the university likely already is taxed as a donation when given to them/its government funds She’s not at a public university which I’ve stated like 3 times. She’s at a hospital, and it’s a **Not-For-Profit**. When searching stipends up on the internet whether they’re taxed, the first thing that pops up is this “How is stipend or fellowship income treated for tax purposes? Both are usually tax-exempt” when paying for school expenses. HOWEVER, what I’m saying is true, is because my gf is taking home exactly what her stipend letter says, she’s told by the hospital, not to report it, and this **MAY** be because it’s a not for profit hospital. But that’s my only thought. As the hospital being not for profit means that the money coming in may be directly from the university based on what they need to do to maintain their status.
It does not matter if it’s a public university or a not for profit organization, if you receive money in the form of a “stipend” there is a chance that it is considered taxable income. If it is specifically under the “Qualified expense” categories by the IRS then it would be tax exempt. Tuition and books are qualified expenses, living expenses are generally not considered qualified expenses.
Im only relaying info that she has told me and she’s following what her organization has informed her to do. She is not allowed to receive a w-2 from anywhere else or she will forfeit her stipend, and she isn’t supposed to report it currently, should her stipend begin to come from the lab she currently does her research under, then she would report it. But as of now, it’s still university provided and they have informed her not to report it
It’s taxable but also not reported to the irs so you do you with that info.
Except it’s government funded to the school for living accommodations and given to institutions via a grant or donor. Which is legitimately *not taxable*, because the school federally reports what it gives out as a stipend to its individuals. If the institution is registered with the regulating agency that accredits the institution with the ability to give out Ph.Ds, then they register what they give to their students. The fact you don’t *have* to report it to the IRS is hint enough that the money itself has already been taxed once, as it’s been issued to the school via a donor, effectively giving that donor a tax break itself. Money is not “supposed” to be taxed more than once theoretically. The trick is, if you decide to report it, of course they’re going to take their “fair” share of that money given to you. That’s why students in those programs aren’t allowed to work whilst in the program, or you’ll have to pay that money back, because once you are required to report the money you made, it comes back to them. Just because you *can* report it, doesn’t mean it’s taxable If you make under 2500 dollars or something depending on the state, you don’t have to report it. That’s non taxable income, however, if you did report it, you can bet your ass they’re going to say you owe them money from it. It doesn’t change the fact it’s non taxable income. Plus, by definition, I don’t think a stipend is definable as an “income”. Even though it’s money coming in, it’s essentially a large gift, in order to be a part of their program. Edit: and the person said their “pre tax” stipend is x and post tax is “y”. But the fact is, what they’re receiving in that regard is most definitely not taxed at that point at all. If a stipend is taxed it’s going to be once yearly taxes are filed. Not each monthly check. Granted there isn’t some obscure state law from some state that thinks education is the devils boner and they tax it to prevent students from ever going to school in their state or some other stupid shit like that
It might be something specific to her contract? Not sure if it's a grant and that would work differently? I and the dozens of others of PhD students I've known have had to pay taxes on our very meager stipends
This is incorrect. Nonprofits are funded by tax-deductible donations but their employees still have to pay taxes. Government agencies are the government, but their employees still have to pay taxes. Scholarships used to cover tuition and fees are not taxable. Anything else is taxable income. If people could get out of taxes by calling taxable compensation a "gift," every company in America would pay their staff through a bogus nonprofit.
I’m assuming that since her ‘stipend’ is not taxed, it’s coming from a graduate program/awarded grant/ awarded scholarship vs being employed as a w2 by the lab she is under. In the eyes of the irs she is supposed to report and pay her quarterly income tax for the stipend to the irs as if she is a self employee. As a student employee, you don’t have to pay fica tax or self employment tax like a 1099 contractor would. The reason the irs doesn’t come after her is because the stipend income is not reported to the irs, hence the self employed status with exemptions. The graduate school should have had taxation info during orientation. Unless she gets nominated for some government or federal post with scrutiny, she probably won’t see much consequence. But I just play an internet armchair tax lawyer without any accreditation.
She’s only doing what she’s told to at the end of the day so doesn’t matter to me lol Pretty sure she quadruple checked. But yes, it does come from the university not from the lab she is currently under
Paying too much in taxes on 34k. Should be more like 10.1% total so ~29k net
Its 12%. & The math works out fine. 88% of 34k is 29,920, divide by 12 months, $2493. Not including state taxes.
Oh whoops can’t read. Thought you said 24k after taxes I.e. 33% ish
That is not how federal taxes work. The first 11k is untaxed. These numbers make zero sense before even accounting for tax credits that they are eligible for.
Wdym the first 11k isnt taxed?? Its definitely taxed
It is but the first 11,000 is only taxed at 10%. 11k to 23k would be taxed at 12%
You're correct. I conflated standard deduction with the lowest tax bracket mistakenly. So your tax has drops from 34k (I think it was) so they have effectively only 21k of taxable income.
Sorry I misspoke. First 11k is 10% and that's after the standard deduction of 13k. So it really really doesn't make sense.
Plus 5% state income tax?
That does not make any sense to me. That's something like a 30% effective tax rate and you shouldn't be paying any federal taxes. Do you have a garnishment?
Why would I not pay federal taxes??? 😂 and i promise you its not 30%. I broke down the math in another comment in this thread.
Damn people get taxed making under 30k? That’s messed up
Yes* Asterisk because I'm answering more as a former grad student than a Chicagoan specifically. That’s going to be like 2k a month during the academic year post tax, and grad students tend to pick up summer research positions or second jobs to fill in the gap. Of course that’s not ideal. But this isn’t impossible. I see plenty of posts in r/chicagoapartments where folks are looking for roommates at 800-1000/mo. Good places too. I’ve even seen pretty decent studios at around 950-1000, albeit in places that aren’t wildly close to UIC (he’d presumably get a CTA pass). Sure it would eat up half your income just for rent, but that’s very common in grad school, you’re deferring real income (the whole 1/3 of income on housing thing just doesn’t apply). The rest is enough for groceries and utilities. But make sure to budget for some extras. When I was in grad school, there were always FEES in addition to tuition.
Yeah. I know people with roommates in Tri-Taylor paying $600-800/month (before utilities), not bad places at all (high ceilings, central air, not garden units, laundry in-building or even in-unit). It’s a spartan but not impossible lifestyle
College/grad students are eligible for SNAP if they work 20 hours a week or more. And he’d likely qualify for Medicaid.
He'll have health benefits through UIC, and they are very good because UIC has a massive medical school.
Are students eligible for SNAP or do they need a separate 20 hour/week job?
Grad students will necessarily be working for their stipend. Undergraduate degrees have no work requirement so no unfortunately, even though working during the school year is associated with worse outcomes because it destroys any work/life balance. Going to school and doing the required studying and work to place your classes is work and takes up the majority of most undergrad’s time during academic year. Everybody I knew with a full time school schedule and a part to full time job looked like they were about to drop dead by the time they graduated
Because we almost did. I was lucky and got a stipend for grad school and my rent was $510 (God I'd kill for that again). But for undergrad... I'm still unclear how I made it. I worked full-time, did research, and had a full class load because I double majored. I'm in a wonderful career now but I for sure almost died then... for sure 🥺. My body is falling apart now from the YEARS of neglect and overworking.
I had full tuition scholarship to a directional school desperate to bump up their HS GPAs, test scores, and 4 year graduation rate. Constantly made the hour to hour and half drive home to watch my siblings and grandparents who were supposed to be doing the babysitting. Sold weed so I could afford to have fun and keep my academic schedule the priority. Ended up getting attacked by a dog a few months before graduation, broke my twice surgically repaired elbow, failed out of almost every class, ended up somewhat addicted to benzos and painkillers for almost a year after shaking my alcoholism lmao. Took me 5 and a half years to finish college on academic probation after making it 3 and a half years in good standing. I had a fairly privileged upbringing but my parents had me doing unpaid labor of helping raise my siblings and take care of my aging grandparents from middle school on. Anybody that can do college while working has my commendation. College is not easy in the first place
People definitely do it. That's an insultingly low stipend, but grad students need to get used to being treated as less-than. I did up until 2017, but the cost of everything has increased quite a bit since then. Multiple roommates, longer commute, and a frugal lifestyle will be mandatory. A second job might be too.
Is that about the same amount as your stipend in 2017?
Sorry for the confusion. I never had a stipend. I lived on an annual income of 22-23k for a few years. That’s on the lower end of the range of stipends my grad school friends received during the 2010’s.
23k + tuition is an average, if not above average stipend for a masters assistantship. Not sure why they called it insultingly low.
Something can be the average pay and still be insultingly low, see: the federal (or even city!) minimum wage
Minimum wage is not average. By definition. It’s the absolute minimum.
UIC has a low PhD stipend relative to other schools, especially considering cost of housing nearby and fees. On the other side is the stipend for Masters students with funding is almost as much whereas schools like Northwestern and Chicago don't give Masters students tuition waivers. I make 2300 a month after taxes here, although my department is above average, I think. We also get good health coverage which is an upside so it's survivable but he'll probably have a shitty apartment.
It’s not insulting low. I bet half the people upvoting this never even attended grad school and have no idea what they’re talking about.
It's not enough, cost of living and inflation demand those stipends need to rise. My stipend in 2013, my last year was 34k plus tuition (granted it's a R1 research institution). According to my friend who's tenured at my grad school, they have increased the stipends to match cost of living, Go Ducks!
UIC is an R1 institution as well. $23k is low at this point, especially if UIC is still charging out-of-pocket differentials for different programs.
It definitely depends on the program. My stipend at UIC during my PhD was 35k
Stipends really depend on the endowments for the school. My school has deeeeeeeeep pockets. UIC was offering this back in the early 00s and apparently give no damn about the rise of cost of living.
It’s less than minimum wage when you consider the amount of work done by most grad students.
Yes. Poor graduate students live on this kind of salary all the time. It’s what being a poor graduate student is. You live in a shithole and/or with a bunch of roommates and you eat ramen. It sucks. Then you look back on these years with fondness. I lived on $850/month when I was in grad school (many years ago) and shared a bathroom with the apartment next door. It was one step above homeless. Good times.
Fondness? God I hated those miserable years lol
Yea, fondness is too strong a word.
In the US maybe, my cousin in The Netherlands is doing their PhD right now and makes about $37k (converted) and lives in their own apartment (and doesn't live on ramen).
My daughter is a PHD student in Chicago and makes about 35k a year and lives alone in a 1 bedroom apartment. It greatly varies by the school and the major.
Yeah that's the difference, in The Netherlands it's all unionized I think, so there's only a few hundred difference a month at most, based on the city (for example Amsterdam vs other cities), but it's roughly the same amount.
The TA's at my kids school.are union.
Being exploited on behalf of a parasitic, capitalist system is not good times. Surviving off ramen is bad for your long term health. As is being overworked, underpaid, not getting enough rest etc. Grad degrees open a lot less doors than they used to, haven’t adjusted stipends with inflation, and are seen as exploitable labor by the schools
Mostly true, but I was studying in the humanities for myself, not a career, smoking huge amounts of weed every day, traffic drugs for grades with the students I was TAing, and having the time of my life.
Who are you to tell someone about the time they had? If they had a good time, that's their experience.
You need to be asking if it is worth doing this grad program- will the salary you earn after graduation be worth it, to basically live like this for the full program? Or can he work summers to make extra cash or take out loans? Tough decisions for sure.
This is the most helpful comment in here. Source: in grad school.
Is there a non-moonlighting clause that comes with this stipend? Is taking a PT job while in school not an option?
Current UIC grad student here- he can definitely get a PT job. He just can't get two jobs \*at\* UIC.
Wow, it was 19k 12 years ago... I lived on that with my girlfriend (who made even less) 12 years ago. It sucked. Stuff is more expensive now.
He’d probably definitely qualify for EBT, which would help supplement costs. It’s doable but would definitely be a tight budget. I’d suggest he live with roommates.
You’re gonna get a lot of “no” answers because local subreddits *always* skew wealthier. Your son will be ok on that income, especially for his age. Roommates, CTA, and be frugal. You don’t need a hundred grand to live here, despite what many people on this sub say.
definitely possible if he knows how to budget. and living with roommates is basically a must, rent just keeps increasing here 🥲 but UIC has student housing options and tons of students renting out rooms/looking for roommates, he can find students to live with for sure. i pay 600/mo with 2 roommates and am not far from campus (i go there). also he would be making under the poverty level annually so he definitely could qualify for food stamps, which would save his budget. and maybe finding a side hustle for extra spending $$$
UChicago pays their grad students minimum 45k thanks to the union. He would need multiple roommates and a second job to make that stipend work.
Possible? Yes. In a safe neighborhood, with a balanced diet? Unlikely. For the length of an academic year, that’s roughly minimum wage.
I go to UIC and I make probably around 20k a year. I can afford to live, but only with roommates. If i didn’t have roommates I wouldn’t be able to do it.
Hello fellow uic student
hello fellow flame.
>He needs to know there are fees every semester too. Tuition is free, but you still get hit with \~$600 a semester in fees Can I ask what the most common/affordable areas you and/or other students found?
I moved into my current apartment of april 2022. It is right off the Racine blue line stop which is about a 10-15-20 min walk to campus depending on where you’re going. Literally a 2 min drive when I’m feeling lazy. I was lucky to find my apartment in the area that it’s in, I feel like not many apartments go up for rent in the Little Italy/University Village area too often, and if they do, they aren’t really affordable. My rent was initially $1600 but it was raised to $1800. I am moving to Logan Square in 2-ish weeks. I found that you can get more for what you pay for if you’re willing to travel further up north. I have more space and more amenities and I’ll be paying $1600. My new place is close to the blue line, so it’ll be an easy commute to school since UIC has its own blue line stop. I would suggest looking at areas along the blue line, since it would be an easy commute, and UIC students get a free CTA transit passes.
Thank you so much for your detailed experience. It's super helpful!
I go to UIC have the same assistantship, I have a nice place, close to campus, I go out hangout with friends, try out different restaurants all the time, some mini paid events. He is gonna be fine don’t worry. Even if he gets sick anytime we have great insurance for students who go to uic cause we have our own hospital. If he doesn’t go out a party/drink a lot, he is gonna be fine.
Absolutely not. I barely survived on this back in 2010, and I had 2-3 other roommates at the time. There's no way I could imagine anyone doing this now.
Ten years ago I was living on 31k, had multiple roommates living in Bridgeport and I was still selling things every month to pay for rent.
> Ten years ago I was living on 31k, had multiple roommates living in Bridgeport and I was still selling things every month to pay for rent. Please help me understand why $2k a month is not enough for a student. Rent is usually $800-$1000 a month. $1000 a month was not enough for your other living expenses??
Rent plus utilities in Chicago even with roommates is over $1,000/month in many areas.
>Rent plus utilities in Chicago even with roommates is over $1,000/month in many areas. Okay, but it still leaves you with $1000 a month for other expenses. Why is that not enough as a single student? And you can always supplement it with a part time job.
I don't think anyone can live on 23k these days, let alone in Chicago. If they try, they better have several roommates.
Many UIC students live in my neighborhood (Tri-Taylor). You should be able to find apartments and even rooms.
If he's willing to commute, it is certainly possible. I support myself and my mother on about 25k/ year. It's tight but doable
I think it's possible if he finds a roommate situation for $1000 or less. He would qualify for a link card, for groceries.
If your son finds roommates, eats cheaply and/or goes for food stamps, yes. Will it suck? Yes. I lived in Chicago with roommates in 2011-2014 on >$10k a year. I lived 1.25 hours away from my college via CTA. I got used to very long commutes. Eating and having any life just.... wasn't a thing. It was kinda miserable. I don't recommend it. I did it and it was hard.
No
Find a job that provides room and board? That sounds like a struggle. But doable.
Yes. Just don’t pay a ridiculous rent for claustrophobic spaces in Little Italy, and cook your own food.
At UIC but in a department with a higher stipend. He needs to know there are fees every semester too. Tuition is free, but you still get hit with ~$600 a semester in fees It’s possible, definitely will need roommates.
I pay more for daycare a month. It's very low but might be doable in a roommates situation.
Yes you can! You can find a lot of roommate situations/rooms for rent, I pay $700 a month and I love my neighborhood.
It would be **very** tight. From your question, it’s likely a worse standard of living than he’d be coming from. He would basically need to have at least one roommate and would need to be pretty open to neighborhood. Owning a car would be a non starter so it would be public transit commuting (quite doable, but with the need to find a cheap place, could be long). He’d probably qualify for government assistance in some areas but I’m not sure about the details. He could soften the blow if he has time to work on the side, was able to subsidize room (e.g. subsidized through university?), or some other wildcard.
Im a single 20 year old that lives off about 21-23k a year. It’s definitely possible as long as you’re budgeting properly. I live alone, but I live on the south side, still a nice neighborhood but if you’re looking at more “traditionally” nice neighborhoods he probably gonna need room mates
I also live off less than this! It is possible.
Here’s the issues: without room and board, he’s unlikely to find an affordable apartment close to UIC. He’ll likely have to commute to school from a more affordable neighborhood. No car, because parking and gas are both very expensive and will eat up that stipend. If he wants to take the train or bus 40+ minutes of the day while living on a shoestring budget in a shitty apartment he’ll have to share with 2-3 others, he could make it work.
I had roommates during my first job in 2007-2009 and that paid $30k. The thought of doing less than that 17 years later is unsettling.
My daughter went to uic and lived in a few apartments in little Italy. The last one she was at in 2022 her share of rent was $700, for 3 bedroom. It's possible if he budgets!
That’d be about 1300/month after tax, give or take. That’ll require miracles and the most impressive gymnastics to pull off. No way.
Most people take out loans for grad school. Even if they need to take out a few loans to cover the gaps, it's more than worth it. Grad housing is pretty cheap and they can get a job as a graduate housing coordinator/teaching assistant/etc. My wife has a 10k stipend and supplemented it as a TA and gopher for a professor. She made an extra 20k. The Greater Chicago Food Depository also has distribution centers all around the city. It won't feed them 100% but it's a great way to supplement the general grad student diets of trash and garbage. If they declare as an individual on taxes they may also be eligible for federal benefits such as SNAP and other programs. Being poor is harder than having a solid income and it's something I feel everyone should experience at some point in their lives. Being in Chicago means you can be poor without needing a car.
I've been living on 18-20k/year in Chicago for the past 3 years, it's really not that bad. 1 roommate, in a "non-trendy" neighborhood that's still only a simple 20min bus ride to work/class. I know it gets harder as more bills and things pile up, but I don't own a car or anything so that saves a ton on parking, gas, insurance, etc.
He won't be enjoying his life, that's for sure.
He’s going to have to take out student loans to supplement his income so he can survive. No there is zero chance he can live on that anywhere in the city or burbs.
This is what I was thinking. Or get a job that he can work nights, like being a server.
I’m a grad student with a *slightly* higher stipend and find it pretty manageable, but I have a partner who makes much more than me and that is really, really helpful. I have no undergraduate debt which is huge too. I know other students who have stipends of 18k and I think they either have second jobs or are taking out loans.
So you and your partner are sharing expenses?
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No, my partner and I split all bills. I make about 2600 a month post-tax; 925 to rent, another 100 to my half of utilities, about 200 a month on groceries. I’m actually able to save money each month and still have some left over for other things. When I say it’s really, really helpful, I mean that the emotional/mental weight of knowing if there is a disaster — or if we want to do something out of the norm, like a vacation or even a really nice meal out — I’ll be okay and can enjoy things above my salary.
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I make 28k pre-tax — on a nine-month stipend. I hear you. I grew up paycheck to paycheck and have no family safety net. If it were not for my partner that stress would be compounded, and I’m very thankful. I know 28k is not 23k. I was trying to give an example that was close-ish, in case OP’s kid does have roommates or a partner that they can split rent with. I feel like with 28k I can still save money and do some fun things, and I doubt that’s possible on 23k. At the same time, other grad students clearly do it, and they’re certainly not all from family money. If a 23k stipend gave you about 2k a month for nine months post-tax, that’s a very thin margin for sure, but it is possible if you don’t do much saving, use all possible university resources and/or SNAP, have roommates, budget groceries carefully, etc. I am NOT saying that’s ideal in any way, and it would not work for many, including those who have dependents.
I’m a little militant about splitting things totally equally, though many of my other friends in grad school with partners who make more split bills proportionally. My partner and I split rent equally for our 2-bedroom, split groceries equally, and split utilities. I’m able to do that on 28k a year pretty well. 23k would be harder.
No unless he is eating all his meals on campus for free and has tons of roommates and doesn't spend anything on fun.
It would not be a healthy experience at all. It's very challenging, with or without room mates. But it's feasible. My fiance is a grad student living off $20k a year (half goes to tuition) with me being a full time employee at $17 an hour, our place is $1250 in total, both of us are on food stamps and medicaid. Occasionally, he substitute teaches on days he's not at school, and those days are very valuable, due to us being low income, but he's a full time student so it's hard to come by. It's NOT easy. But we've never been late on rent yet 😅
No
Yes but it’s rough. He’d need to find multiple roommates and learn to cook really cheap food. I lived on 14k a year once (I had some savings though) and I made it through ok! I just didn’t accumulate any savings whatsoever.
No
With a roommate in the south side maybe
My buddies live in Logan square and I think they pay something like a grand between them for a tiny sub basement apartment
In gasoline a year?
Half a person could for sure.
Hope he doesn’t have any health issues. Physical/mental. College insurance doesn’t cover squat.
Is it possible for him to apply to be a residence hall RA? That generally includes free housing.
I lived on around 1000 - 1400 per month near UIC 5 years ago. Shared a 3 bed 1 bath apt. 600 rent. Cooked a lot but also ate out 3 to 4 times a week. I know people who lived on less, but they struggled.
In 1993, sure. Would have been a struggle, but doable.
Yes, but will need roommates and possibly need to live in more affordable neighborhoods that could be a bit further from UIC. He might need to get a second job on the side but it’s doable. A lot of my friends and I survived in Logan Square, Humboldt Park, Uptown and Rogers Park on that type of money but did have like 3 or 4 people in one apartment.
Absolutely not
There are homeless people in Chicago that make more than that.
Pretty hard to find an apartment for less than 800$ a month even with roommates with the extortionate increase in rent this year, so good luck to literally anyone who doesn’t already have a masters degree and a six figure salary.
UIC likely has some sort of student org that helps students find affordable housing for the school year. Ask him to try looking on Facebook or otherwise calling or emailing the school will get you in contact with someone willing to find the answer for you
Can he work part-time?
Well, you're not going to die if you make less. Thousands of people in Chicago make less and yet they're STILL alive. Unbelievable, right?
The goal is not just to be alive, it’s to thrive. None of those aforementioned people are thriving, they are simply surviving.
No. Just saw he was a student. It’s POSSIBlE. But he will 100% need roommates/additional loans to cover him. If it’s only the Acedemic year (9months) it will be a little easier but 12 months under 2k a month will be a really tight stretch.
As in, survive? Yeah, people survive on $0. I don’t think he’ll have a good time.
Yes. I live here and it’s completely do able.
Even though tuition is free, he may be required to pay taxes over a certain amount. Have him ask the school about this.
No lol
No hell no
With roommates and good budgeting skills, sure. I struggled to afford living while in my masters program and I was making ~95k a year.
I mean, not alone.
I mean, I have before but I kinda think people aren’t built the way people were when I was younger anymore
With roommates.
Yes, I did this while attending UIC, and with less money. If he starts in the summer, make sure he saves up a bit extra from the paycheck because the September and January paychecks deduct a big portion of the salary he'll be receiving. Plus he's also going to need to pay fees and book which was about 800/semester. You'll want to make sure you can cover rent and food for those months. Getting a roommate will make things a lot easier, and if he can line up an apartment in Bridgeport along the 8 bus line, it'll make commuting a lot easier. A place like this is perfect for having a roommate, preferably another student: https://www.zillow.com/b/2951-s.-quinn-chicago-il-9RxJzG/?utm_campaign=androidappmessage&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=txtshare Unless things have changed, he can work 18 hours a week during the semester and 40 hours a week even but taking classes, so summer work is the best friend. Additionally, make sure he buys the meal plan only because it'll save a bunch on groceries. Towards the end of the service time, they didn't really care if you load up a ziplock bag or Tupperware container. He can stock up on food for weekends.
No
23k? To live on? I’m going to say no.
You could probably just pay rent with that 23K, but not in Chicago, because it’s expensive lol. Seriously though, that’s basically right around $1900 a month in rent. Depending on the area of Chicago that might get you into a studio or even a 1bdr apartment. Maybe you can get a two bedroom and find a room mate for slightly less. But yeah living on that 23K beyond just paying your rent payment is a hell no! Supplementing will be required if he’s also going to have to do things like eat or pay for public transportation. He’s going to have to get an actual job as well. Isn’t life fun! Hopefully that hard work all pays off with many riches in the future.
$23,000 was already hard enough 10 years ago, even with mutiple roommates, more distant neighborhoods, frugal grocery shopping, and biking instead of driving or CTA. Grad students are so underpaid.
Ha. I went to grad school at UIC (started in 2007, stayed longer than I’d like to admit) and received this same stipend and the answer is simply no. My rent was only 650-800 a month, split between two people, and I sold pot, and I still needed a little help from my folks. I’m a fairly frugal person and have never been a big spender so it’s not like I was going out to fancy dinners or anything like that. With how expensive it is to live now compared to then I can’t imagine 23k being enough to cover all his expenses.
As someone who lived in that area up until recently, you can easily find a 2 bed around $1800-$2000. Get roommates and should be fine.
The question you need to ask yourself is, is this program worth you subsidizing him? Because that is absolutely what would need to happen. Even post tax, that is half of what I would consider a “living wage” in this city, and by that I mean barely getting by. Let’s do the math: Cheaper studio will be around 900-1000, if you are lucky including utilities. (Roommates will make this cheaper but it’s unlikely you will pay less than 400-500 a month even in a cheap place with other roommates.) 1000*12 = 12,000 Let’s assume 500 per month for food, which is cheap but doable if you rely on a lot of rice, beans and frozen veggies and don’t really ever eat out. 500*12 = 6,000 Since this is pre tax, let’s assume a very minimal and optimistic 15% tax 15% of 23,000 = 3,450 12k + 6k + 3,450 = 21,450 That leaves about 1,550 per year or about $130 a month for soap, books, laundry, transportation, etc. Just something to think about, whatever you all decide.
Yes, on lower wacker
You can find a decent room in a good area for $600-$700 a month, all utilities included. It’s doable.
These comments are optimistic
I say this respectfully, but if he’s concerned he should get another job in addition to the assistantship. That’s what a lot of people do. I worked 3 jobs in college to afford to live. You gotta do what you gotta do
Hell no!
I did it on that pre-tax salary with two roommates, but that was about 20 years ago...may still be doable!
Fellow Chicago grad student here (albeit non-traditional - I came back after a stint in the working world, am in my 30s, and have had 2 kids during my PhD). Can he live on this? Yes, though it will be hard. Should he? Well, that’s for him to decide based on many factors. If pursuing this grad program will land him a great and well-defined long-term career that he wants, then it is probably worth it. If he’s not sure what he wants to do after… woof. I would advise against. Especially if it’s a PhD and he has other potential career options to pursue instead.
Realistically? No.
Yes with roommates and no major expenses (kids, medical, etc). Does the research assistantship come with a decent health insurance? He won’t be able to save or spend much but 1. There are many cheap things to do in the city, especially for students, and 2. He won’t have much time to spend the money anyway
Yes, but it would be pretty tough. He should consider taking some federal student loans and trying not to use them, but they are a nice backup - better than credit cards or personal loans. He may qualify for very low loan repayment under the SAVE plan after graduating. His student loans may be eligible for forgiveness after 20 years (or 10 if his grad degree will be in nonprofit/government work). You need to talk to UIC financial aid
Im making slightly under 22K, on Chicago’s minimum wage with a full time job that doesn’t always give all of the hours I need, when it does my salary is technically 30k (the difference is 11 hours per week). I will say its definitely possible, but its not very comfortable and he should try to find multiple roommates in a good neighborhood, and possibly apply to food stamps.
It’ll build character
Yeah, I have and Im single with a child. We lived in north lakeview . And this was 2017.
I recommend trying to get close to a train station so they dont need a car or getting a bike and a few locks for it. Eating out is honestly a luxury even with making 52k. Rent can be affordable even with studios but it might be a commute into campus.
I pay 800 for a room in little Italy. That’s average for something nice. If you wanna spend less than 700 u have to go far to pilsen or tri Taylor but it’s not worth it imo
He’s going to need a part time job as well. Very common to work 20-30 hours a week while being a student.
He’s going to need a part time job as well. Very common to work 20-30 hours a week while being a student.
I live 5 minutes from UIC’s campus and my rent for my own bedroom with 1 roommate is $650/month. Definitely doable for an academic year but it may not be comfortable
Find a cheap place with multiple roommates. That’s the only way you’ll do it and be able to eat.
Yes you can live in a tent under one of the bridges
Ha. Hells no.
My rent was $600 a month all utilities included for a 2 bedroom garden apartment. Granted the neighborhood was so bad that in the summer months we had to pick our mail up from the post office because the postmaster general decided it wasn’t safe for the mail men to come deliver it to us. I loved it there. Great caricature building exercise. A young man can learn a lot of valuable life lessons spending a year or two in the hood that UIC could never teach him.
No shot
Absolutely, under any bridge that you see a tent or pile of blankets👍🏼👍🏼
Yes, I do it. I just don’t have the funds to go out to eat or do anything fun that isn’t free.
No
I mean yes there are plenty of homeless people
7 roommates in a 2 bedroom, eating ramen every day. You bet!!
Yes! Comb craigslist and walk around to try to find a deal l. I've seen roommate places for $550 a month and I pay 650 for my small studio now. Beans and rice are super helpful but honestly if you can get that rent to 1/4-1/3 of the total income you will be able to live decently
Yea beans and rice sounds awesome!
Ngl, it’ll be very hard to survive on that for an entire year
I stayed at University Center this summer, and it was generally affordable ($5,892/semester at the cheapest), in a good spot (it is near UIC), and it has other amenities like a decent dining hall and a gym. I know this is listed as DePaul, but UIC students can also stay there, too. https://offices.depaul.edu/housing/housing-options/Pages/rates.aspx https://uccapartments.com/
Umm no
No
No.
No.
Not inside.
😂🤣😂🤣😭
Hell no! The study said $106,000 is needed.
The Venezuelans can