Like graduate students at most universities, Darden Ph.D. candidate Rama Velamuri receives a stipend from the University along with his scholarship. Unlike many other graduate students, however, Velamuri must use more than half of this amount to pay for health insurance.
The University does not provide health insurance for its graduate students, which faculty leaders said is indicative of the general under funding of the graduate student program, a problem some say may blunt the University's competitive edge in attracting top-level students.
Faculty Senate Chairwoman Patricia H. Werhane explained that in some areas of its graduate student program, the University does not compete well with other high-quality schools. One of these areas is health insurance, which many top-tier schools provide for their graduate students.
"Our undergraduates are doing pretty well, [but] at the graduate student level the problem seems to be a much more severe one," Faculty Senate Chairman-elect Robert Grainger said regarding the overall funding issue.
Grainger explained that attending graduate school is a huge financial burden for most students, especially those raising families, and money usually is tight.
Although families often plan for their children's undergraduate expenses, few save money for graduate school as well, he said. Universities recognize this and usually offer extensive financial aid to doctoral students.
It also is common for schools to provide health insurance plans for their graduate students. Undergraduates usually are covered by their parents' plans.
Because most students require significant monetary assistance, a school's ability to provide this assistance is an important factor in a student's decision between graduate schools.
Werhane said the Faculty Senate will form a committee to study ways to increase funding for graduate students in need of more money .
She said this process began as a response to student complaints about the lack of insurance coverage.
"It does help sometimes to speak up," she added.
Velamuri is one such student who spoke up.
The 38-year-old student is supporting his wife and two children. His wife is an Indian citizen, so she cannot work because of restrictions on her visa.
Although he said he is "quite happy" with the University's financial aid, he must pay about $3,500 a year to insure his family. This accounts for a significant portion of the stipend the University provides him as an addition to his scholarship.
He added that he thinks his situation is generally typical of the University's graduate students with families.
Grainger said there is general agreement throughout the faculty and administration that graduate funding levels are a problem, but the extent of the problem and its solution remain unclear.
The solution probably will be in the multi-million dollar range, he said.
He added that the Virginia 2020 Plan - the recently released report designed to ensure the University's success into its third century - calls for increased funding for the graduate program.
Both Grainger and Werhane said they welcomed an increase in exposure for this problem. "We are interested in treating our students well," Grainger said.
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