PhD Stipends in the US and UK: What You Would Actually Live On

A PhD stipend is the money you receive to cover living costs while you do doctoral research. The amount depends heavily on the country, funder, and program, so treat any single figure as a reference point rather than a promise.

Stipends usually support a defined period, and they often come with tuition coverage or a separate fee payment. That package matters as much as the monthly number. Before you compare offers, separate the living-cost payment from tuition, fees, health insurance, and any travel or research allowance. An offer letter should say which costs are covered and for how long.

What does a PhD stipend actually pay for?

Stipends are meant to support living costs during training. In the US, they are set by each university and program, not by a national pay scale. UKRI sets a minimum for the studentships it funds, and other UK studentships can follow different terms. A department may pay more than a minimum, and other funders may set different terms.

Ask what the stipend covers. Some offers include a payment for living costs plus tuition; others have a separate fee award. Health insurance, visa costs, and travel can sit inside or outside the package. The offer should be explicit.

What are the US reference points?

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, under Solicitation NSF 26-526, pays a $37,000 stipend for each of three years of support. It also pays the institution a $16,000 Cost of Education allowance in lieu of tuition and mandatory fees for each year of fellowship support. The fellowship provides three years of support within a five-year fellowship period.

Separately, the NIH Kirschstein-NRSA predoctoral stipend for FY2026 is $29,364 a year ($2,447 a month). The current notice, NOT-OD-26-044, sets that level; NIH lists FY2027 only as operating under a continuing resolution. The same program pays 60% of actual predoctoral tuition, up to $16,000 a year, and up to $21,000 for formally combined dual-degree programs such as MD/PhD.

Those are funder reference points. A program’s own offer is the number that applies to you.

Why is your offer different from these numbers?

US stipends are decentralized. A university sets its own rates by department, school, or funding source. A teaching assistantship, research assistantship, fellowship, or training grant can each carry different terms. Cost of living also varies, but the offer document is the only reliable statement of your pay.

Check the funding period. Does the offer cover the full expected time to degree, or only the initial period? What happens after the guaranteed period? Are summers covered? Is the stipend tied to duties such as teaching, and how many hours? Does the department guarantee tuition coverage for the same period? If the offer mentions “typical” support, ask for the written guarantee.

Ask whether the stipend is paid over the calendar year or the academic year. Ask whether health insurance is included, and whether fees are paid by the program or deducted. Ask about increases. Are stipends adjusted each year? Is there a stated policy? Ask what happens if grant funding ends.

Does the stipend cover tuition?

Tuition coverage usually sits apart from the stipend in the US. The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program pays the institution a $16,000 Cost of Education allowance in lieu of tuition and mandatory fees for each year of fellowship support. The NIH NRSA pays 60% of actual predoctoral tuition, up to $16,000 a year, and up to $21,000 for formally combined dual-degree programs such as MD/PhD. Those are funder rules. They do not mean every program covers the rest.

Ask the program how remaining tuition and mandatory fees are handled. Do not assume a stipend dollar amount also pays tuition. An offer should state whether tuition is covered, for how long, and whether coverage includes mandatory fees. If the answer is “the department covers it,” ask for that in writing. If the offer is a training grant, ask which costs the grant pays and which the university pays.

What is the UK minimum?

The UKRI minimum doctoral stipend for full-time students is £20,780 a year for the period running to September 2026, with £22,780 including London weighting. From 1 October 2026, the minimum is £21,805 a year, or £23,805 with London weighting. UKRI also contributes a minimum tuition fee for academic year 2026 to 2027 of £5,238, capped at home fee rates. UKRI says funding for full-time studentships usually lasts between three and four years.

These are minima for UKRI-funded studentships. Other funders and universities can set different terms. Check whether your studentship is UKRI-funded, whether London weighting applies, and whether the fee award covers the full international fee if you are not a home student. The fee contribution is capped at home fee rates, so an international offer can have a different fee arrangement. Ask whether the stipend continues for the full studentship, and what happens if you need more time.

What to do next

Get the written offer and list the living-cost stipend, the tuition or fee award, the health insurance terms, and the funding period. Ask the program to confirm each in writing.
Ask what happens after the guaranteed period: whether the stipend continues, what duties it depends on, and whether tuition coverage continues for the same period.
Compare the offer with the relevant reference point. For a US federal training grant, ask which costs the grant covers. For a UKRI studentship, check the fee status and London weighting.
If you are still deciding whether a doctorate is the right route, read whether you need a PhD to be a scientist, PhD vs. a master’s, and is a PhD worth it before you accept funding terms you do not understand.