Navigating the World of MFA Creative Writing Scholarships and Funding

Pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can be a transformative experience for aspiring writers, offering them the opportunity to hone their craft, connect with a community of fellow artists, and prepare for a career in the literary arts. However, the cost of graduate education can be a significant barrier for many. Fortunately, numerous scholarships and funding opportunities exist to help students finance their MFA studies. This article explores the landscape of MFA creative writing scholarships and funding, providing valuable information for prospective students seeking financial assistance.

Understanding the Costs

Before diving into funding options, it's essential to understand the costs associated with an MFA program. Tuition varies widely depending on the institution, ranging from fully funded programs that cover tuition and provide a stipend to programs where students are responsible for the full cost of attendance. For example, Saint Mary's MFA in Creative Writing's yearly tuition cost for the upcoming 2024-2025 academic year is $33,638. Other expenses to consider include living expenses, books, and fees.

Fully Funded MFA Programs

One of the most attractive options for aspiring MFA students is a fully funded program. These programs offer a financial aid package that includes full tuition remission, as well as an annual stipend or salary, for the duration of the program, typically one to three years for Master’s degrees. Funding often comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study.

Here are some universities that offer fully funded MFA programs in Creative Writing:

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL): Guarantees full financial support for up to four years for admitted MFA students.
University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ): Provides full funding through a graduate teaching assistantship for three years to all accepted MFA students.
Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ): Awards a teaching assistantship to all admitted MFA students who submit a complete and approved application. The assistantship includes a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a stipend ($18,564 per year) for a three-course per year load.
University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR): Offers teaching assistantships with an annual stipend of $13,500 for students with a BA, along with a tuition waiver.
Boise State University (Boise, ID): A three-year fully funded MFA program dedicated to poetry and fiction.
Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH): Provides graduate assistantships (including stipend and scholarship) with a 100% tuition scholarship for all eligible face-to-face students in this two-year program.
Brown University (Providence, RI): Provides full funding to all incoming MFA students, including a monthly stipend and tuition remission.
Boston University (Boston, MA): Covers tuition costs for every admitted student in the MFA Creative Writing Program.
University of California San Diego (La Jolla, CA): MFA in Writing students are eligible for financial support if they study full-time, maintain good academic standing and make timely progress toward the degree.
University of California Riverside (Riverside, CA): Grants all incoming students a full fellowship and stipend for their first year.
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL): All MFA students qualify for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position, which comes with a tuition waiver and a stipend for this three-year program.
Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL): Provides the majority of students with a teaching assistantship, including a stipend, tuition waiver, and health-insurance subsidy for this three-year MFA program.
University of Houston (Houston, TX): MFA students can receive a teaching assistantship for three years.
University of Idaho (Moscow, Idaho): All English Teaching Assistants (TA’s) are offered full tuition waivers and a stipend of $14,000 per year.
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, IL): Three-year MFA program.
Indiana University (Bloomington, IN): M.F.A. programs offer a generous teaching package to creative writing students.
Iowa State University (Ames, IA): Offers starting half-time teaching assistantships for MFA students that include a full-tuition waiver scholarship and health insurance coverage for this three-year program.
University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA): Financial assistance is available for all students enrolled in the program, in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships in this two-year residency program.
John Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD): All students receive full tuition, health insurance, and a generous teaching fellowship for this two-year program.
University of Maryland (College Park, MD): This three-year program accepts a limited number of applicants who are fully funded by Teaching Assistantships for up to three years of graduate study.
Miami University (Oxford, OH): All students admitted to the MFA program in Creative Writing hold generous Graduate Assistantships (which include a summer stipend).
University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL): The James Michener Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships support all graduate students in this intensive two-year study with a third year option.
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI): All MFA students accepted into the program are offered a full tuition waiver, a stipend, summer funding, and health care benefits.
University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): All admitted MFAs receive full funding, in the form of teaching assistantships or fellowships, which include a full tuition waiver, health benefits, and a stipend.
University of Nevada Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV): Three-year program.
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL): Funding is provided for three full years, summers included.
Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): All admitted students are fully funded for our three-year MFA program in Creative Writing.
University of Oregon (Eugene OR): A two-year residency MFA program. All incoming MFA students funded with a teaching appointment.
Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR): All students admitted to the MFA program will automatically receive a standard teaching Graduate Teaching Assistantship contract, which provides full tuition remission and stipend to cover living expenses.
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA): All students admitted to the program will receive Teaching Assistantships for two or three years in this three-year MFA program.
Rutgers University-Newark (Newark, NJ): Each full-time incoming student receives in-state Tuition Remission and a Chancellor’s Stipend per year.
University of South Florida (Tampa, FL): Three-year program.
Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL): Almost all MFA students hold graduate assistantships, which provide stipends for the academic year and full remission of tuition.
Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY): Three-Year M.F.A. in Creative Writing. All students are fully funded.
University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC): Three-year MFA program.
University of Tennessee - Knoxville (Knoxville, TN): There is no cost to apply to the MFA program.
University of Texas in Austin (Austin, TX): All students in the New Writers Project receive three years of full funding through a combination of teaching assistantships (TA), assistant instructorships (AI), and fellowship support.
University of Texas James Michener Center (Austin, TX): A three-year, fully funded residency MFA program that provides full and equal funding to every writer.
Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN): Each year a small, select class of talented writers of fiction and poetry enroll in Vanderbilt’s three-year, fully-funded MFA Program in Creative Writing.
University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA): Three-year MFA program.
Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO): Because of selectivity and size they are able to offer all the new students full and equal financial aid for both years in the program in the form of a University Fellowship.
West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV): A three-year program.
Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas): Most of the MFA students are GTAs who teach two composition classes each semester. They pay no tuition and receive a stipend each semester.
University of Wisconsin-Madison (Madison, WI): All accepted MFA candidates receive tuition remissions, teaching assistantships, generous health insurance, and other financial support.
University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY): All of our full-time MFA students are fully funded with two-year graduate assistantships.

Other Funding Options

Even if a fully funded program isn't an option, several other avenues can help finance an MFA in Creative Writing:

Merit-Based Scholarships

Many MFA programs offer merit-based scholarships to accepted students. These scholarships are typically awarded based on the strength of the applicant's writing samples and overall application. At Saint Mary's MFA program, all applicants are automatically considered for the Program's merit-based scholarships by way of their application materials. No additional materials are required. Every accepted applicant receives some scholarship award.

Some MFA programs also offer specific scholarships for particular genres or areas of interest. For example, the Richard and Juliette Logsdon Fiction Scholarship is awarded to a first-year MFA fiction student for work of exceptional merit. The Miriam McFall Starlin Poetry Prize offers a promising poet the freedom to pursue writing in the summer between their first and second years in the MFA program.

Pacific University's MFA in Writing program offers a variety of merit scholarships, including:

The MFA in Writing Endowed Scholarship (FAFSA required)
The Marvin Bell Endowed Scholarship
The Kwame Dawes Mapmakers Scholarship
The Katherine Dunn Scholarship (FAFSA required)
The Washburn Scholarship
The Robert Kelleher “A Room of One’s Own” Scholarship for Parents

Teaching Assistantships

Teaching assistantships (TAs) are a common form of funding for MFA students. TAs typically involve assisting a professor with teaching undergraduate courses, grading papers, and other administrative tasks. In exchange, TAs receive a stipend and tuition remission.

At some universities, such as the University of Oregon and the University of Wyoming, all incoming MFA students are funded with a teaching appointment. At Saint Mary's, opportunities for additional funding include Teaching Fellowships. The Creative Writing Program at the University of Oregon funds all incoming MFA students with a teaching appointment, where students are the “instructors of record” for all of these courses.

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Graduate Assistantships

Some MFA programs offer graduate assistantships that cover the cost of attendance for students in roles that support the program and provide valuable training in literary arts administration. Saint Mary's MFA program awards graduate assistantships.

Fellowships

Fellowships are another source of funding for MFA students. Fellowships can be awarded by the university, external organizations, or private donors. They typically provide a stipend to cover living expenses and may also include tuition remission. Saint Mary's offers opportunities for additional funding in the form of Program Assistantships and Community partnerships.

The University of San Francisco's MFA in Writing Program provides a small number of fellowships on a competitive basis each year.

Federal Financial Aid

Domestic students can utilize federal loans throughout their time in the program. For most students, the main option involves Federal Direct Loans-regular Grad loans cover up to $20k of funding per year. The FAFSA is required for all student loans, and students must be enrolled at least half-time to qualify.

Private/Alternative Education Loans

Private/Alternative Education loans are another option to help bridge the gap between the actual cost of your education and the federal student loans.

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Campus Positions and Community Partnerships

Many MFA students find positions on campus that suit their skills and interests. Saint Mary's is a small campus so they are always looking for creative ways to help various college and community partners while providing funding and professional experience for their MFA students. The SMC MFA program has a long history of partnering with community organizations that share our values. Students routinely engage in part-time opportunities-and earn valuable course credit along the way.

To be considered for non-teaching opportunities at Saint Mary's, students are encouraged to respond "Yes" to the "Would you like to be considered for the MARY Journal Managing Editor Fellowship or any of our Community Partner Fellowship?" question on the Personal Statement page of the application.

External Scholarships and Awards

In addition to program-specific funding, numerous external scholarships and awards are available to creative writing students. These can be found through online databases, professional organizations, and writing contests.

Here are some examples of external scholarships and awards:

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
The Pen to Paper Scholarship for Storytellers
The John Carlton Myatt Writing Scholarship
The Carol and Jonathan Price Memorial Fine Arts Scholarship
The Niche $25,000 No Essay Scholarship
The Alyssa Sandmeier Foundation Creative Writing Scholarship Competition
The Lantos Activist Artist Scholarship
The H. Eugene Webb Jr. Scholarship (Columbia High School)
The Kathryn Holden Slater Scholarship
The Bobette Bibo Gugliotta Memorial Scholarship for Creative Writing
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
The Ruth DeYoung Kohler Scholarship for Artistic Excellence
The Achievement Awards in Writing
Arts For Life! Scholarship
The Archibald Rutledge Scholarship Program
The F. Lammot Belin Arts Scholarship
Waldorf University's Creative Writing Scholarship
Easy scholarship open to current high school students and college applicants
Easy $2,500 scholarship from CollegeXpress- open to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors!

Internal Awards

Some Creative Writing programs offer internal awards for MFA students that may be used to cover costs to enter contests, residencies/retreats, or travel.

The University of Virginia currently provides modest travel support to MFA students for one conference each academic year, mostly in the fall and spring semesters. They sometimes have limited summer travel or research funds available, which require an application and are not guaranteed.

Tips for Securing Funding

Securing funding for an MFA program requires careful planning and diligent effort. Here are some tips to increase your chances of success:

Start early: Begin researching funding options and preparing your applications well in advance of deadlines.
Craft a strong application: Your writing samples are the most important part of your application. Revise and polish your work until it shines.
Highlight your strengths: Emphasize your skills, experience, and accomplishments in your application materials.
Tailor your application: Customize your application to each program and scholarship you're applying for.
Seek recommendations: Ask professors, mentors, and other writers to write letters of recommendation for you.
Proofread carefully: Ensure your application materials are free of errors in grammar and spelling.
Be persistent: Don't get discouraged if you don't receive funding right away. Keep applying for scholarships and fellowships until you find the right fit.
Inquire early: Inquire about additional financial aid, such as student loans, grants, and work study, through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Respond "Yes": To be considered for non-teaching opportunities at Saint Mary's, students are encouraged to respond "Yes" to the "Would you like to be considered for the MARY Journal Managing Editor Fellowship or any of our Community Partner Fellowship?" question on the Personal Statement page of the application.

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