Break #2

Hello again everyone,

I am working to a big deadline this Thursday and will not be posting this week.  Check back on Monday for the next installment in my "Breaking Down the Application" series.

Thanks for reading,

Casey

Breaking Down the Application Part 1: The Personal Statement

It's called a variety of names, depending on the funding institution, but the personal statement (or
statement of purpose, or statement of intent, etc.) is a ubiquitous and important part applications for funding.   Some of the smaller grants and scholarships may not require this component, but you can be fairly sure that you will be asked to supply a personal statement for any large graduate fellowship (or grad school application, for that matter).

Many of us dread writing personal statements, especially if we are used to writing in a technical or scientific format.   The switch from talking about running experiments to talking about your goals in life can be incredibly jarring.  What's more, writing about one's self can be a really uncomfortable experience. Unfortunately, the only advice I can give you here is: buck up.  Nearly everyone has the same issues with writing about themselves.  The sooner you can set aside your reservations or self-consciousness about it, the more effective your finished product will be.

The personal statement is your time to shine as a human being.  Your primary goal should be to distinguish yourself as motivated, interesting, and unique.  The more you can set yourself apart from the other applicants (in a positive way of course), the better your chances are of being awarded funding.  The reviewers who read your application will have been spending hours reading page after page of personal statements that start with:

"Ever since I was a child, I have been passionate about _______."

Avoid this, please.  At all costs.  If you truly do have a unique and important anecdote from your childhood that spurred your interest in your field and set you on a path towards your current goals, then by all means write about it.  But simply saying you love what you love because you have always loved it will likely be the death knell of your application.  Finding your true motivation may take a little introspection, which is another reason why writing a personal statement can be uncomfortable.  Do a little digging internally and see if you can remember any key events, stories, trips, or other memories that can help you weave an otherwise dull personal statement into a compelling narrative.

Before you begin writing, it is very important that you understand exactly what the funding agency is asking for.  Every application will ask for something different, usually based on the priorities of the funding agency.  Federal funding opportunities will almost always focus on the "Broader Impacts" of your proposed work, and your personal statement is the perfect place to expound upon all the impacts you have had and will have in your career.

Pick out specific words and phrases that are emphasized in the application.  If they say they are looking for students who have demonstrated leadership skills, make sure you explicitly state:

"The position involved managing a team of undergraduate research assistants, and allowed me to greatly develop my leadership skills."


Reviewers are given a specific list of criteria to look for when reading through the applications.  As upsetting as this may be to the students putting all their time, energy, and thought into each application, reviewers will literally scan through looking for keywords and check them off their list.  Your best bet in getting funded (and this applies to other components of the application) is to identify the keywords they will be looking for, and make sure each and every one of them is included in your personal statement.



So, you're probably thinking:

"That's ridiculous.  They want me to craft a beautifully written, elegant, and original personal statement that includes a pre-determined list of words and phrases inserted verbatim into the narrative?"

Well, yes.  That is the conundrum of the personal statement, and that is why so many people struggle with writing them.  I advocate that they be written in the following order:

1. Read the funding announcement and determine exactly what the funding agency wants to hear.
2. Outline your narrative.  Find the common thread that ties your experiences together.
3. Figure out how to weave each of the keywords into your story.  Tie them into anecdotes or work experiences.  Add these to your outline.
4. Actually write the thing.

Not everyone's brain works that way, but this method has helped me to organize my thoughts in the past.

That's all there is to it!  (Speaking facetiously of course)

Happy writing.  Show the funding agencies that you are a unique butterfly that fits perfectly into their mold.  Thousands of people have done it successfully in the past.  So can you.

Good luck!

Casey

Week Off

Unfortunately, I won't be able to post this week. I thought I'd be able to pull it together, but let's consider this a bye week and we'll get back in the swing of things this coming Monday. Thanks for your patience and get ready for more good stuff to come! - Casey

Doing Your Taxes

After talking with a number of friends and colleagues about their graduate funding, it has become increasingly clear to me that many grad students are very unclear about how to deal with scholarships and fellowships when it comes time to file their taxes.  For small research grants, this is less of an issue, though they do add up and could cause the IRS to notice you if you file incorrectly.  For large graduate fellowships, however, you are dealing with a substantial chunk of money and it is important that you are informed about how to report that money on your tax return.  Let's begin with a couple of definitions.


The IRS defines a scholarship as:

"an amount paid or allowed to, or for the benefit of, a student (whether an undergraduate or a graduate) at an educational institution to aid in the pursuit of his or her studies."

While a fellowship is defined as:

"an amount paid for the benefit of an individual to aid in the pursuit of study or research."

Both scholarships and fellowships may be tax free, as long as you meet a number of key requirements.  The first and most obvious requirement is that you must be currently enrolled in a qualified academic institution.  Beyond that, there are three more important factors that will qualify your funding as tax free:

• The total sum cannot exceed your expenses, otherwise it counts as taxable income (you're supposed to be offsetting your educational expenses, not making a profit after all)

• It cannot be given with the requirement that it not be used for qualified educational expenses, and it also cannot be given for specific non-educational expenses such as room and board

• The scholarship or fellowship does not represent payment for a service, including teaching and research duties in the course of your graduate schooling

So, the good news here is that you might not have to pay taxes on a large portion of your graduate fellowships and scholarships.  The flip side of that, is that any funding you receive (including graduate stipends) that exceed your annual educational expenses (tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, etc.), is considered taxable income and must be included as such on your tax return.  Notice also, that any money you receive in exchange for your services (teaching, TAing, working in your advisor's lab) is considered taxable income.

Fortunately for many grad students, it is often the practice of universities to compensate students for their TA or RAships by giving them tuition reductions.  It seems like a no-brainer that tuition reductions would be non-taxable, but that's actually not always the case.  Tuition reductions are considered "qualified" and are non-taxable if you meet the following requirements:

• You are provided the tuition reduction by an eligible educational institution

• You are a grad student providing teaching or research services to a qualified educational institution (not necessarily the one granting you the tuition reduction, interestingly enough)

Hopefully most or all of you receiving tuition reductions meet those two easy requirements, and won't end up having to pay taxes on your tuition reduction.

For a great deal further reading, check out the IRS's webpage on the matter.

Hopefully you all have to worry about taxes, because that means you got yourself some funding!  That's the glass-half-full approach at least.

Until next time, watch out for the IRS,


Casey

Maximizing your financial aid, or Do your FAFSA!

Financial aid can be an important way to supplement your funding during graduate school.  In some rare cases, it can even cover the majority of costs associated with your education.  Though the total amount of available student aid has decreased in recent years, many aid options are still available, and financial aid should not be overlooked as a potential source of support.

Student aid may be available from:

1. The federal government (this post is U.S. centric, sorry international readers)
2. Your state government
3. Your university or college
4. Private sources such as non-profits

Federal student aid is usually the largest and most readily-available support, coming to students in the form of grants, loans, and work-study.  Grants are hands-down the best type of student aid because they do not need to be repaid.  Loans are just the opposite.  As I've stated the, the purpose of this blog is to help you avoid taking on any further debt, so I won't touch on loans here.  The final type of federal student aid is work-study, which essentially provides funds to employ the student at their university.  Work-study can be a little tricky, as the university is responsible for arranging the work opportunities and not all schools participate in the program.

The remaining types of aid (state, university, and private) vary widely from location to location.  The best way to find more information on what sources of support may be available to you is to visit your school's financial aid office.  This office is responsible for managing financial aid funds for all students, and they should be able to provide you with a great deal of information regarding funding opportunities.

A nearly-universal first step in applying for financial aid is to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  This application provides information about yourself, your schooling, and your financial need to the federal government, allowing them to calculate how much aid you should receive. They do this by generating what is called an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is the amount of money you (and your family if your parents can still claim you as a dependent) are expected to provide for your education.  This value is weighed against the projected costs of your education, and used to determine how much money is required to make up the difference.  You can submit your FAFSA application here and in the mean time you can calculate a projection of how much aid you might receive using FAFSA4caster.

Once your FAFSA is received, the Federal Student Aid office will generate a student aid report for that year and forward it to your university.  The actual amount of funding you are given will be determined by your school.  Your FAFSA information will also be used to gauge your eligibility for other state, university, and private funding.  It is important to note that some independent scholarships, grants, and fellowships will require that you submit a FAFSA and may ask to see your student aid report or EFC.

There is a national deadline for completing a FAFSA (usually June 30th), but it is important to look up your state's deadline.  Student aid is often given starting on a certain date and disbursed until there aren't any funds left to give.  Thus, it is very important to have your FAFSA completed before your state's deadline.  After that point, they will begin to divy up the funding and your chances of receiving aid may be diminished.  Look up your state deadline here. 

A great deal more information can be found on the website of the Office of Federal Student Aid and on the main FAFSA page.  Also, I can't stress enough the importance of talking to someone in you university's financial aid office.  They will be best able to guide you through the specifics of obtaining financial aid in your state and at your school.

In summary, submitting a FAFSA is important.  Make sure you do it by your state's deadline.  If you miss the deadline, submit one anyway.


Best of luck,

Casey

Don't overlook the little guys

When applying to scholarships and grants, many graduate students focus only on "The Big Ones."  This is not without good reason, as these larger fellowships have the potential to cover the majority of the expenses associated with graduate education.  The downside of this, however, is that many students overlook the numerous smaller scholarships and grants available to them.  These smaller funding sources can be incredibly valuable in covering research and travel expenses, which may not be included in a larger fellowship, and may help ease your financial burden.  During my master's coursework, I pulled together $12,500 in small grants and scholarships alone, helping to pay for a large portion of my research and to cover the cost of some of my living expenses while I was in school.

The great thing about these smaller funding opportunities is that many of them are locally focused, on a school, a specific department, or on a particular geographic region.  To find scholarships and grants that apply for you, start simple.  Begin with a web search, and be sure to try including key words that apply to your field, your school, your department, and the region in which you are working.  Next, talk with people in your department.  Older students are likely to know about potential funding opportunities within the department and the university.  If you have a graduate coordinator, ask them.  Call the financial aid office, or check their website (next week I'm going to talk about maximizing your financial aid and funding opportunities within your school).  Be sure to keep your eyes open and check email lists, bulletin boards, etc.  Many of these smaller scholarships are poorly advertised, which can be to your benefit as that usually translated into fewer applicants.

The amount granted, funding frequency, and selection criteria of these funding opportunities varies widely.  Some are based only on merit, and do not take into account any financial need on the part of the applicant.  Some are just the opposite, and will ask you to enumerate your financial need in detail.  Often, the criteria fall somewhere in between, taking into account the merit and financial need of the applicant.  Many are focused specifically on funding research costs, and are not to be spent on personal expenses, while some are intended to be spent exclusively on living and educational expenses.

Like the specifics of the funding opportunities themselves, the format and content of the applications are highly variable.  Many ask for the generic materials: statement of purpose, research proposal, transcripts, a CV, and letters of recommendation.  Some, on the other hand, can be very, very easy.  For example, I got $1,000 for writing a 250 word blurb.  While my general advice is to apply, apply, and apply again, I definitely think that some of the smaller scholarships and grants require far too much work for the amount of money they offer in return.  For me, a full application package including transcripts and letters of recommendation might not be worth a chance at winning $200.  For you, it might be worth the time and energy.  Just remember to take the time to analyze the costs associated with applying and weigh them against the potential benefits of winning the award.

Another category of grant to keep an eye out for is travel awards.  These are often associated with conferences or meetings, and are to be used to cover any expenses associated with attending.  Usually, these are advertised on the hosting organization's webpage, but there are some independent travel awards funded by specific endowments or departments.  These awards also have different criteria, but they are usually reserved for students who will be presenting a talk or a poster at the conference.


So, in summary, search broadly, apply early, apply often, and reap the rewards!


Until next time,

Casey

The Sequester: What is it and what does it mean for you?

If you have been paying attention to the news lately, and likely even if you haven't, you are probably aware of the "fiscal cliff" and the ensuing "sequester" or "sequestration."  Despite its prominence in recent news stories, the sequester remains a mystery to a lot of people.  My goal in this post is to share some information about the sequester to help you understand what it is, and how it may affect you.

To that end, the obvious first question to answer is "What is the sequester?"  The sequester is a set of budget cuts and tax increases that were "intended to reduce the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion as required by the Budget Control Act of 2011" (Council of Graduate Schools, document here).  These cuts were drafted as a response to the deepening economic crisis that began in 2008 and had driven our government towards bankruptcy.  Interestingly, it can be argued that no one ever intended for the sequester to actually occur.  Rather, the sequestration was scheduled to come into effect automatically in January 2013, providing a deadline that would intimidate law makers into agreeing upon a federal budget.  This deadline is what was referred to in the media as the fiscal cliff.

Well, predictably, our law makers were not able to come to an agreement and we fell off the cliff.  The next logical question to ask is "what does that mean for us?"  I've outlined some details of the spending cuts below that are particularly applicable to graduate students and researchers:


U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Program: -$186 million

• Office of Federal Student Aid: -$254 million

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science: -$400 million


National Institutes of Health: -$2.5 billion

• According to the Council of Graduate Schools "the NIH budget cuts due to sequestration can translate into approximately 2,400 fewer research project grants made to universities and institutes throughout the country."

National Science Foundation Research and Related Activities: -$469 million

• Education & Human Resources: -$76 million
• "The NSF would fund 1,600 fewer research and education grants which would be equivalent to approximately 19,300 fewer researchers, students, and technical support personnel than FY 12"  (Council of Graduate Schools)

Clearly, these cuts are substantial and are not to be ignored.  It is likely that they will have far-reaching and long-lasting impacts on federal funding for research activities (and for federally funded programs across the nation). In the words of Marc Kastner, Dean of the School of Sciences at MIT, "The sequester wreaks its havoc by striking the hardest at particular points in the life cycle of a university researcher...Cuts in budget strike those dependent on other people's grants -- graduate students, post docs and soft-money research scientists."

Underlying this entire discussion is a conflict that has been developing in this country for many years: the trend toward broad-scale defunding of basic science in favor of applied or industry related science (what AAAS CEO Alan Leshner refers to as "quick-turnaround, low-risk" science).  Many law makers have been calling for the federal government to stop funding basic science altogether.  Probably not the best example, but remember Sarah Palin loudly and publicly decrying the use of federal funds to study fruit flies?  I'm not going to touch the politics of Sara Palin with a 10-foot (3m) pole, but this particular example is only one of many that has been voiced in recent years.

The real kicker here is that basic science is incredibly important.  I know I'm preaching to the choir, but I will again quote Marc Kastner in saying that "paying for basic research is a bet a society makes on its future...(for example) it's estimated that the Human Genome Project delivered a return on investment of 141:1 -- $141 in wealth created for every dollar spent on the job."  Some experts believe that not investing in basic science can have devastating economic effects.  The non-partisan Information Technology & Innovation Foundation released a report estimating that the cuts to basic research found in the sequester would reduce the GDP of the U.S. by $200 billion over a nine year period.

So, that brings us to our final section: "How is the sequester affecting us right now, and when is it going to end?"  There is no denying that we are already feeling the effects of these budget cuts.  I personally know of at least one person who lost their PhD funding, as it was coming from a project that was cut due to sequestration.  The EPA still has not announced the recipients of this years STAR fellowships, and the outlook is getting grimmer by the day.  In the words of EPA STAR technical contact, Brandon Jones:

"Yes, the Sequester has put quite a damper on things, including award announcements.  No award decisions have been made and right now we do not have a timeline for those decisions."

Like the EPA, many federal funding agencies are unable to say one way or another how many awards they will be giving in the coming years, or even whether they will be able to continue funding grants and scholarships at all.  One major reason for this is that no one knows how long sequestration will be in effect.  The sequester ends when law makers pass a federal budget, but due to the seemingly universal inability of our law makers to find compromise with one another, it remains unclear when this will happen.  The timing, and more importantly the content, of the new budget will play a large role in determining how federal funding for graduate students will be affected in the coming years.  For example, Obama's most recent budget includes some fairly major changes to federally funded graduate fellowships (though it seems very unlikely to me that this budget will be accepted by law makers).  Check out the details here.

To make this very long story short, no one really knows exactly how the sequester will affect graduate students or when it will end.  In the short term, it's not looking great, but we won't know the long-term outlook until a new budget is passed.

In the mean time keep your chins up and struggle on!

Casey