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[wannabeaphd]

Hello all,

I'm a first time poster, long time lurker. I wanted to ask your advice on inquiring about how the institution has weathered the economic crisis in a request for information about the PhD program? I am concerned about the possibility of limited funding for the PhD and, since I will not be applying until 2010 for 2011 entry, I am also concerned that the information about funding available on the website may be outdated.

What I want to know is whether asking about this would be frowned upon. Also, do you think such an inquiry would yield useful any information?

Best.

[higherandhigher]

I think your best bet is to ask about funding commitments/guarantees that the department generally offers incoming students.

[aandsdean]

Also, things can (and probably will) change a lot in the next year.  It's too early to make this request if you're not applying for a year.

You can also make an educated guess by googling, especially for state universities, whose funding woes are plenty of fodder for their local newspapers.

[wannabeaphd]

Thank you for your responses! Googling is good advice.