Hi Folks

If I do a PhD, I will have to fund it all myself. Does anyone have experience of this? Does anyone know of someone who is doing this? Is it common or rare?

Regards

Angelette8-)

Hi Angelette! I think its not common, but only because the ability to access funds may put the cost out of practical reach for many. I was able to get funds as an overseas student from my home country--in the form of student loans--and was self-funded. There were two other funded students doing a PhD in my department.

I finished--on time!

They are both still there, funding gone, submissions no where in sight, way past time....

I think if you are self funded you definitely feel the "investment" in a literal sense to the work. Not saying that funded people are not invested, but that self-funding brings an entirely different set of circumstances to the work.

I have read where being self-funded is a red flag as one of the markers of students who do not complete. In my own experience, it has been just the opposite--self funders complete!

Hi Angelette, I had two external supervisors already and a project plan prior to approaching unis to study for my PhD. I was readily accepted with my project and was assigned an internal supervisor once I started. I have self-funded throughout my part-time PhD and am in the later write-up phase now. Cannot say if I will pass (but definitely hoping so!) but have done it in the self-supported way. It gives me incentive to complete otherwise I will have wasted my own money. I am desperate not to over-run on time due to my own sanity (after 5 years) and, of course, funding. It can be done as long as a uni will accept your proposal. I do not think this avenue is as common as funded PhDs.

Self-funding is very common in the humanities. This is because PhD funding for this field, even before the latest spending cuts, is very limited. Most self-funding PhD humanities students are part-time, typically working full-time or nearly full-time to allow them to do research as needed. Sometimes they can get some help with costs, for example to attend a conference, where the department may help a little with travel expenses. But generally self-funders are totally reliant.

I started my part-time history PhD self-funding. But I was very lucky to win funding from AHRC from the second year onwards.

I am in the social sciences and self-funding. I missed out on a studentship by a year apparently as the year before me was the last with studentships available, and I was told I could have any money that became available. I think that in the years to come self-funding will be more common, particularly in the arts, social sciences and humanities.

It shouldn't be the issue that it is; when I first mentioned on here that I was self-funding a few people questioned my ability to do a PhD through suggesting that my university only wanted me for my money and that is the reason I got in, but that is not the case. Those who self-fund shouldn't be prejudged as belonging to a minority who wouldn't be doing PhDs if they didn't have money, I'm sorry if I come across as having a chip on my shoulder but this is an issue that affects me sometimes.

I'm starting a part-time PhD in the autumn and I'll be self-funding. A university won't take anyone even if you can pay for yourself and your proposal and abilities have to be assessed before they'll accept you. I also had to provide references.

I am self-funding (care of the US Dept. of Education, Student Loan division). I find that I, and a few others here who are self funded, have had a different work ethic regarding the actual thesis when compared to friends who are funded. We tended to be more focused in the first 2 years and in the third year we have all be about the same (as the other 'half' realises that funding is running out soon). However, they were usually also tasked with several other 'funded related' jobs that they had to complete (teaching, marking, other research, etc.). In my department (business), self-funded is far more rare, but I don't know about the university overall.
So in quick review, self-funded is annoying to pay yourself but it lets you focus on just one thing for the entire time.

All bar one (or maybe two) of the students researching my subject at my department are self funded, and the singular exception is funded by the Malaysian government. This is because ours is an arts subjects, so funding has always been thin on the ground, but also because of a timing issue reltated to these new five year allocations by the AHRC. My department was so new then that I don't think it even registered as existing, for example, my supervisor who has a stonking record didn't work there until 6 months afer the review was over.

I am a sessional lecturer and Iit is hard financialy and in terms of time, and because my life, which is built on temporary contracts, feels quite precarious. I imagine it may be easier if you can find more stable employment, but then my teaching feeds my research so that makes things easier, and I don't have to worry about getting teaching experience - luckily I have a professional background which is sought after for lecturing in fields very closely related to my PhD.

There are lots of different ways to fund a PhD: one girl in my department works in a factory, another in an office, while there's a bloke who combines PhD-ing with full-time parenthood.

Good luck x