Hi, I started my PhD last week, and still have not recieved any maintenance grant. I'm getting worried bacause someone told me I might not get paid till the end of October..I am totally broke already. I'm funded by BBSRC and have a CASE studentship.

Think of this like a job, you only started last week, so be patient, they are not gonna pay you immediately, and it will be monthly payments as well.

Hey Alex, You sound opportunistic like a friend Nagerian who always calls me when his stipen is delayed. who is a .Your worries now should be centred on how to locate basic info and materials to get you going.

helpful reply there choo! I think not having any money is quite a legitimate worry really! I'm also funded by a studentship from a research council and I don't yet have a schedule of payments (or even how much it'll be). However, my impression is installments are quarterly, with the first being in the first week of October. Check with the Student Finance dept at your university, who were very helpful in my case. If you are in serious difficulty, some universities have temporary hardship loans or similar.

Good luck!

It's hard to be patient when you have no money to live off and already have student debt from undergrad. studies. Plus my travel and accomodation costs have to be paid for by something. I have already located basic info. and materials and am already working on my research..unlike the other PhD students here.

Cheer up Alex, Hope you get some money soon. Don't let what some people say on this forum affect you. Home students look on money issues different.

Alex, I agree totally.

Talking to other people doing PhD's, this lack of information seems like a recurring problem. Even the idiots at my LEA and the Student loans company managed to tell me when I'd get some money to live on when I was an undergraduate!

I'm also funded by a CASE studentship. Perhaps having the research council, company, university dept. and student finance dept. all involved doesn't help things.

At least having a CASE Studentship will mean you'll be better off than most other postgrads when you do get the money...

Yeh I have asked SO MANY people for advice - even for things like where to find distilled water..but no one seems to know anything, and I keep getting conflicting info. sometimes. The funding issue is a big thing - I can't even buy anything for my research because an account hasn't been set up yet!! And my supervisor is away on holiday to Greece for 3 weeks just as I started. Other PhD people are wandering around all confused too. It's not good.

To be honest Alex, the academic year does not technically begin until the last week of sept -so you don't have much ground to complain. Your money will arrive the first week of oct -as it will everyone else. As for your supervisor going on holiday -you had better get used to that, he/she isn't accountable to you -you are to them.

re Joan's comments:

Depending on your university and funding arrangements, PhDs do not have to start at the same time as the academic year. In any case, Alex should have been told when the grant was due to be paid.

I also disagree that the supervisor isn't accountable to their student. There are obligations on both sides. I'd regard going on holiday for 3 weeks, leaving your new student with no idea when their funding is to be paid and without access to a project account as rather poor.

Mac’s comments: I understand that PhDs start at varying times. Alex stated his PhD begun last week, indicating I was correct in assuming he started at the same time as the academic year. Also I am sure that the research council is the first point of call, when asking about maintenance grants. I would agree about obligations, though when would you suggest a supervisor goes on holiday? –during term time or maybe during undergraduate exam marking in July, or during Masters Exams in august, but I guess the supervisor thought a PhD student could be independent for 3 weeks.

How come you started so early I haven't even got to UK from my country I start on the 3rd after a week od orientation from the 27 th this mont I get my first allowence on the 1st of October

I have a BBSRC studentship and got a form that the supervisor needs to sign and send back, then they claim to credit your back account as soon as possible thereafter. After that it should be every 3 months automatically. Do you have the studentship confirmation letter from the BBSRC with a contact name ?

Dan B - I've had no official confirmation letter - slightly concerning!! Joan/Jean - I find your comments really hurtful - I have set up 2 experiments already for my PhD, and have organised field sampling myself - resources for which have all been paid out my own pocket since I have no lab budget available..so I think I have been rather independant - I could have just sulked in a corner for 3 weeks. My PhD officially started 3 weeks before the academic year begins at my uni..so keep your spiteful comments to yourself.

oh grow up Alex, if you think my comments are spiteful then you had better leave academia now, especially after complaining to your supervisor that you don't have this or that. I'm sure you'll be back on this forum in 6 months time complaining "why doesn't my supervisor like me?"
Your PhD is going to get a lot harder in the next 3 years -better grow some thicker skin.