Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Hi, so I'm a little bit confused about how everything works financially in the US of A. If I apply, and am offered a TA'ship does this mean they will cancel my fees? Is it the norm to pay fees, or is it the norm to have them waived? How do you go about getting them waived as an international student? Where can I find a good list of scholarships for international students?

I'm pretty worried, is it normal to have to pay in the tens of thousands per year? and put that all into debt?

Many Thanks

Dave

In general, if you're going for a PhD and are offered a TA'ship, then the school will waive tuition (it doesn't matter if you're an international student or not), but everyone may have to pay some smaller fees. This is probably not true absolutely everywhere, but it's the case everywhere I looked in to. If you look carefully, they'll probably say it somewhere (two examples).

The school I'm attending covers fees but it was a weird situation. I get my stipend and then an additional check at the beginning of the semester to cover the fees. It didn't say it in my letter either. It was told to me over the phone when I asked about it.

It depends on the school. In physics it is unusual to rack up school related debt while in graduate school. Most schools offer some kind of tuition waver+stipend, although as an international student YMMV.