How much should stipends sway decisions?

[notacolour]

fellowships are exempt from state taxes, or so i've been told. i presume you're living in durham?

 

No, though I have lived in Durham before, for something like a decade. Also in Raleigh, and I've spent a lot of time in Chapel Hill/Carrboro, so I know something about the area.

 

As for the taxation issues, a lot depends on how they pay it. I would ask the program directly, but at my institution my money has been divided between fellowship and assistantship. The former is charged to my student account and not generally taxed (though I do probably actually owe federal taxes on it), while the latter is paid through payroll every month, and taxed both at the state and federal level (though incidentally, no FICA during the school year).