Stories Untold

Higher education in the United States continues to attract a growing number of international graduate students. Yet, little is known about how financial burdens shape the experiences of international doctoral students, particularly in non-STEM disciplines. To address this gap, our study explores two research questions: (1) How do graduate assistantship roles influence the academic progress and professional development of international doctoral students in education majors? and (2) How does financial insecurity affect the professional development and well-being of international doctoral students in education majors? This study employed collaborative autoethnography (CAE), which used three researchers’ autobiographical narratives as primary data to generate critical insights into social phenomena. The findings revealed that financial insecurity fostered a pervasive sense of precarity, which diminished students’ academic performance, their sense of belonging to the department, and their employment prospects. These effects were further shaped by intersecting factors such as nationality, gender, academic discipline, and familial roles. Within the context of neoliberal higher education culture that emphasizes STEM fields and fosters competition, these dynamics often compel international doctoral students to prioritize external expectations over their academic growth and personal well-being. These findings call for more transparent and equitable funding structures that acknowledge and address the unique vulnerabilities of international doctoral students in education.