Entomology Graduate Stipends Fail to Cover Necessities

THE AVERAGE ENTOMOLOGY STIPEND IS LOWER THAN THE MEDIAN STIPEND FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES. With an ongoing pandemic and inflation at a 40-year high (Rugaber 2022), entomology graduate students face soaring costs for necessities. Even before the pandemic, graduate students nationally spent more than 50% of their stipends on rent (Bauman 2020). Personal communications with entomologists suggest that past stipends were worth more than current stipends when adjusted for inflation alone, while the costs of housing, education, and healthcare have outpaced inflation for decades (Erickson 2014). Here, we investigate current disparities between entomology stipends and cost of living and discuss effects on individual students and entomology as a whole. In September 2021, we conducted an informal survey of 20 U.S. entomology graduate programs. We compiled data from faculty, students, staff, and administrators on gross stipend amounts and subtracted fees and tuition paid by students to calculate net student income. Using the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Living Wage Calculator (livingwage.mit.edu), we estimated the living wage for a single adult at all surveyed locations. The living wage is defined as the “minimum income standard that, if met, draws a very fine line between the financial independence of the working poor and the need to seek out public assistance or suffer consistent and severe housing and food insecurity,” which does not budget for restaurants, entertainment, savings, or other items considered necessities by many Americans (Glasmeier 2021). We calculated income disparities as net income minus living wage. Seventeen of 20 Ph.D. programs fall below the living wage. Nationally, Ph.D. stipends averaged $27,276, and net incomes averaged $25,916. Compared to the average cost of living ($30,440), there is an average disparity of –$4,525 between net incomes and living wages. In other words, the average Ph.D. student must bridge a gap of $4,500 annually to meet basic needs. The severity of this gap varies regionally. The Northeast has the highest cost of living, but net income keeps pace. Living expenses in the South are lower, but far exceed net income, with a disparity of –$7,847 for Ph.D. students. The Midwest and West fall in between, with disparities of –$3,375 and –$3,929, respectively. Income disparities for master’s students are more severe, but follow the same regional pattern (Table 1). Whether we consider institutional, regional, or national averages, the trend is clear: most stipends are insufficient. Average entomology graduate student financial support and costs. Competitive fellowship packages attract more diverse applicants and enrolled students who cannot otherwise afford to take on loans or rely on others for support (Ecton et al. 2021). Students of color with undergraduate debt are half as likely to enroll in graduate school as equally indebted white peers (Malcom and Dowd 2012). Once enrolled, Black Ph.D. students receive less funding and accrue twice as much debt as other students (Mervis 2021). People of color are underrepresented and face barriers to entry and retention in entomology, with lack of graduate funding a key deterrent (Abramson et al. 2013, Evangelista et al. 2020). The average entomology stipend is lower than the median stipend for graduate students across all disciplines ($33,700; Bauman 2020). Financial considerations weigh heavily in graduate students’ decision making (Malcom and Dowd 2012) and satisfaction (Ecton et al. 2021). If entomology is to remain a competitive graduate and career option for students, institutions must raise stipends to a livable wage. Improving transparency around stipends empowers prospective students to choose well-paying programs and current students to negotiate requisite stipend raises. Michelle L. Kirchner, Ph.D. student, North Carolina State University, [email protected] Jane E. Petzoldt, M.S. student, North Carolina State University, [email protected] SAC reviewers: Ramandeep Kaur Sandhi, Victoria Pickens (SAC 2022 members), and Patricia Prade (SAC 2021 chair) We thank Dr. Quinn McFrederick, Council of Entomology Department Administrators, and others who provided data.