The Cost of a PhD

Fees each semester - ~$125 for six years for a total of $1500 (as a graduate student in the sciences, I must say that I am quite lucky to have not had to pay my own tuition and to have received a stipend for the last 6 years)


Printing 5 copies of the dissertation for committee and format review - $62


2500 sheets of 24 lb paper for bound dissertation copies - $35

Printing costs for bound dissertation copies - Free (Thanks to Andrew's bosses! There really are some perks to having a husband who works for an architecture firm.)


Binding services for 6 required copies and 4 additional family copies ($49 X 10) - $452 (including a $24 charge per copy because my title is over the allowed 50 characters including spaces and punctuation. $240 just because I'm long winded? Ouch!)

Required microfilm fee - $65

Doctoral robe and velvet tam and hood - $110

Lifetime membership to the alumni association ($300 minus the free $50 Target gift card that will be used on diapers) - $250

6 years of turmoil, heartache, extreme feelings of inadequacy, highs and lows, wearing the $110 doctortal robe with velvet stripes and a velvet tam, walking out on the field at Sun Devil Stadium as my name is called, listening to President Barack Obama deliver a graduation speech...PRICELESS!


More to come...