What do graduate students complain about most at Georgia Tech?

Georgia Tech is running a Graduate Student Experience Survey in 2026, the first of its kind specifically for grad students . They're asking about advising, finances, academics, teaching, research, and support .

I talked to some current grad students about what they hope the survey reveals. Here's what they said:

Funding and stipends is the biggest complaint. Grad students work 40+ hours on research and teaching, but the pay is barely enough to live in Atlanta. One student said: "I love my research, but I'm stressed about money constantly."

Mental health resources are another major issue. Long wait times at counseling, not enough therapists who understand grad student stress. "I needed help and they told me three months wait. Three months."

Advising relationships are hit or miss. Some advisors are great mentors. Others are absent or actively harmful. One student said: "My advisor is never around. I'm basically self-advising and hoping for the best."

Teaching load for TAs can be brutal. Some departments expect 20 hours a week of teaching, leaving no time for their own research.

The survey organizers want to give administrators "the evidence in hand to make serious change" . That worked for undergrads in 2015 — the survey legitimized concerns and led to task forces and improvements.

But will it work for grad students? That depends on whether enough people participate. If you're at Georgia Tech, check your email — the survey is open until the end of February .

What would YOU want them to know?

I'm a PhD student in engineering. My stipend is $2,400/month before taxes. After rent ($1,500), utilities ($150), food ($400), I have $350 left for everything else. That's not sustainable. I'm taking out loans just to survive while doing full-time research that the university profits from. The survey needs to show them the math. We're not asking for luxury. We're asking to not be below the poverty line while working 50-hour weeks.

I'm filling out the survey but honestly? I'm skeptical. We've had "task forces" and "committees" before. Nothing changes. The stipend hasn't kept up with Atlanta rent for years. The counseling center wait times are still months. Advisors still have no accountability.

But I'm filling it out anyway. Because if we don't say something, they'll say "no one complained." So I'm going to be loud. I'm going to be specific. I'm going to tell them exactly what's broken.

If you're at Tech, fill it out. Even if you're skeptical. The data matters. They can ignore individuals. They can't ignore 2,000 people saying the same thing.