A story at The Chronicle of Higher Education takes a look at the less-than-rosy financial situations some PhDs in the US have found themselves in. The article examines what the Chronicle calls "an often overlooked, and growing, subgroup of PhD recipients, adjunct professors, and other Americans with advanced degrees" — those who have applied for some form of government assistance since late 2007.
As Penn State University's Michael Bérubé puts it: "Everyone thinks a PhD pretty much guarantees you a living wage," he tells the Chronicle. "But I've been hearing all year from non-tenure-track faculty making under $20,000."