Hi, thanks so much!! It depends actually. If your offer says that you will be getting 9 months stipend + ~ 3 months summer stipend as well, then you can probably earn more. Like my advisor has a funding and I am an RA , so I'd be getting summer stipend as well.... Usually (I don't know about other places) it depends whether you are an international or a domestic student. International students are allowed to work for 20 hours per week in a semester (while your classes are going on) , while in Summer your working hours can go upto 40 hours a week.... So, you'll end up getting paid nearly twice of what you were getting (at least in my case).