2008 Woodie Awards
RSSOpen forum aids undergrads
By Allison Rolish
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: News
Lehigh's Graduate Student Senate held an open forum Wednesday night for undergraduates interested in graduate school.
A panel of ten graduate students, ranging in fields from education to neuroscience, answered and discussed concerns undergraduates have about how, when and where to look for a graduate school that is right for them.
One of the topics brought up by the graduates was the issue of financial aid and health care. Depending on the schools you want to apply to, making sure there is a way to lessen the financial load is vital to finding the right graduate program.
Various financial support for graduates comes from jobs as teaching assistants, fellowships and stipends, which include salaries specific to the department for their work. Salaries range from $14,000 to over $20,000, with possible increases depending on how many years you have been there for. And with a fellowship or stipend, the department will pay for the credits taken while being in any of these programs.
Lehigh offers some of the highest stipends compared to other universities, according to Holly Richendrfer, a fourth year Doctor of Philosophy grad student in neuroscience.
But another financial burden on graduate students is any health insurance offered through the school.
"Health insurance came out of left field when it was brought up by the graduates," Joe Siefers, '08, said.
Looking at the health insurance offered and also at whether the graduate students are unionized is important when looking into the benefits of each school. The panel explained that because Lehigh is a small university, it is more expensive to offer insurance for students, whereas with a large university, you can expect to find better coverage for a cheaper rate.
For some students, engineering in particular, they should apply for jobs and get as much experience as possible, said Markus Gnerlich, a third year graduate student going for his Doctor of Philosophy degree in engineering.
A panel of ten graduate students, ranging in fields from education to neuroscience, answered and discussed concerns undergraduates have about how, when and where to look for a graduate school that is right for them.
One of the topics brought up by the graduates was the issue of financial aid and health care. Depending on the schools you want to apply to, making sure there is a way to lessen the financial load is vital to finding the right graduate program.
Various financial support for graduates comes from jobs as teaching assistants, fellowships and stipends, which include salaries specific to the department for their work. Salaries range from $14,000 to over $20,000, with possible increases depending on how many years you have been there for. And with a fellowship or stipend, the department will pay for the credits taken while being in any of these programs.
Lehigh offers some of the highest stipends compared to other universities, according to Holly Richendrfer, a fourth year Doctor of Philosophy grad student in neuroscience.
But another financial burden on graduate students is any health insurance offered through the school.
"Health insurance came out of left field when it was brought up by the graduates," Joe Siefers, '08, said.
Looking at the health insurance offered and also at whether the graduate students are unionized is important when looking into the benefits of each school. The panel explained that because Lehigh is a small university, it is more expensive to offer insurance for students, whereas with a large university, you can expect to find better coverage for a cheaper rate.
For some students, engineering in particular, they should apply for jobs and get as much experience as possible, said Markus Gnerlich, a third year graduate student going for his Doctor of Philosophy degree in engineering.
