How to explain why I am applying to a different PhD program without sounding rude? I am currently in a PhD program wherein I like my advisers, but unfortunately due to the following issues I have found that I might be happier applying to another university:

The university charges a $1200 fee during the fall and spring semesters which does not come out of our paychecks, and that they charge monthly interest on. There is also 2 months of the 9 month period of our stipend that we receive half our monthly pay. Thus we are effectively expected to make 6.5 months worth of pay work for 9. I have needed to find additional ways to make ends meet which cuts into the time I could be studying and doing research.

The university does not have a method of testing out of classes without needing to take them. As a result I am forced to take classes which I am already proficient in when I could be taking classes more relevant to research.

The workload for being a GTA this semester was far more than what is reasonable, and cut into my time to do research. I have been informed that this is somewhat common here.


I am applying to other PhD programs at the moment and I am currently wondering what is a way I can both explain my situation in a manner so that people understand why I am applying out without sounding like I am badmouthing my current university? (A professor I know mentioned that the above explanation might be too specific and perceived as badmouthing them). I don't want to be too vague so that it seems like I am just making excuses to apply somewhere else because without 1-3 above I would be happy here.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Concision is your friend here. You do not need to explain all your reasons in detail, and giving multiple reasons will indeed sound negative. Instead, choose the most significant, straightforward reason, and explain it as concisely as possible. In your case, this would be &quot;funding&quot; (#1 and #3 in your list). The issue with coursework, while annoying, does not seem like sufficient reason to transfer (especially when you have presumably already finished many of the duplicate classes).
The challenge with &quot;I want to transfer for better funding&quot; is that grad students are never paid much, and it's a little difficult to believe that the small pay difference between programs is enough to justify starting over, moving, etc., especially when you are otherwise happy with your current program. So, you should provide enough detail to overcome this objection. Note, there is no need to explain the intricacies of your school's internal accounting, just the bottom line (annual salary vs. hours worked). For example:

I am currently paid $15K per year, which barely covers rent in [your expensive city]. So, I have had to work in a grocery story 15 hrs/week just to make ends meet. Further,  my colleagues and I are averaging 35 hrs/week in teaching responsibilities. This arrangement leaves little time for research.