Funding Your MFA in Creative Writing

28/02/20226 minute read
Funding Your MFA in Creative Writing

If you’ve ever considered going to graduate school for Creative Writing, you’ve probably thought about how to find funding. Fortunately, there are dozens of MFA programs that offer full rides in the United States, and that number is only growing. 


**What Is an MFA in Creative Writing? **

An MFA, or Master of Fine Arts, is typically a 2-3 year terminal degree that focuses on the writing of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and sometimes literary translation and hybrid genres. These programs aim to create professionals who are well-versed in the history, craft, and contemporary discourses of their chosen genre. 

Why Get an MFA? 

An MFA program provides you with several years of focused writing, guided feedback, and immersion in a literary community. Most programs utilize a “workshop” model, where each student brings in rough drafts of their work and receives comments on its strengths and weaknesses by instructors and classmates alike. By giving and receiving constructive criticism, you will develop not just your own writing skills but also your ability to critically read and revise the work of others. 

Additionally, an MFA program allows you to make contacts in the literary world by forming relationships with your professors and cohort, by working with visiting writers, and by attending literary events such as AWP. Beyond working as professional writers, many MFA graduates go on to careers in university administration, education, nonprofit work, content writing, journalism, publishing, editing, and literary translation, among others.   

Why You Shouldn’t Pay for Your MFA

In recent years, MFAs have grown in popularity, so there are plenty of full-residency programs that guarantee both tuition waivers and living stipends to all accepted students. In exchange, most fully-funded MFA programs require students to work as Graduate Assistants. Students with GAships can gain invaluable experience teaching college-level classes, working at literary magazines, or working alongside professors and administrators in the English department. These jobs help students to diversify their resumes and build professional skills across disciplines. 

At Crimson, it is our belief that you should never go into debt for an MFA. Like any fine arts field, the publishing world places little value on your degree or program of study and instead prioritizes the strength of your writing. Unless your novel is adapted into a Hollywood film, you’re unlikely to make enough money to live off of creative writing alone. For this reason, most professionals, including Pulitzer Prize winners like Jericho Brown and Colson Whitehead, also teach at universities. 

However, an MFA degree and a prestigious publication record are important for advancing in university careers. Unfortunately, with the outsourcing of teaching to adjunct professors, tenure-track positions are becoming increasingly competitive. Despite these challenges, aspiring writers can use their time in an MFA program to deepen their craft while also developing professional skills in teaching, editorial work, literary criticism, and magazine design, all while avoiding debt.  

Applying to Fully-Funded Programs 

Fully-funded MFA programs are highly competitive. Every year, fewer than 5% of applicants are admitted to a couple of seats in each genre track, so it’s important to get started early and apply to a variety of programs. Though it may be tempting to go for the most prestigious schools, such as the Iowa Writers Workshop or the Michener Center for Writers, you should diversify your applications to increase your chances of acceptance.

Any MFA program with full funding will provide a high quality and debt-free education. Therefore, it is important to research the work published by faculty and recent alumni to get a feel for the program’s artistic vision. Do they allow for cross-genre experimentation? Do they support literary translation or genre writing? It’s very important to find a program whose values align with your own as an artist, as those same professors will be making admissions decisions based primarily on your writing.

The single most important part of your application will be your writing sample, so make sure you’ve polished every aspect of these pieces. If you studied Creative Writing as an undergrad, reach out to former professors and classmates for feedback on your work. If not, consider enrolling in community workshops and retreats, such as those offered by the Open Mouth Literary Center or the ones posted to Poets and Writers.  

You should fine tune the rest of your application to tell a story. Make it interesting. Use your personal statement as an extension of your writing sample. Demonstrate an inquiring mind. Use it to build connections between your experiences, your reading interests, and your goals as an author and as a member of a writing community. Ideally, your resume should speak to your engagement with the literary world, be it through academia, internships, or other organizations. 

Letters of recommendation are standard. They should be from professors or literary mentors who can speak to your artistic and intellectual capabilities, as well as your commitment to writing and your ability to work with others. GRE scores aren’t required for every program, so make sure you do your research before you invest time and money into an exam. These scores, as well as GPAs, are the least important element of your application. However, even if the Creative Writing faculty loves your work, the Graduate School often has the final say on acceptances. If your GREs or GPA are much lower than the university’s average, your application could be rejected despite having faculty support. 

 Decision Day

All fully-funded Creative Writing MFA programs have signed the April 15th Resolution, stating that “Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15.” The admissions board will make their first calls before April 15th, giving applicants the opportunity to weigh various offers without being pressured into a decision. After April 15th, universities will begin to extend offers to waitlisted applicants. Hang in there if you are waitlisted, as many are eventually accepted. 

If you aren’t accepted during your first year of applications, don’t give up hope. In this competitive process, it often comes down to the subjectivity of taste, the need to build a well-balanced cohort, and the mood of your readers on a particular day. Perseverance is a part of the process. You can always try again, knowing that even the most successful writers have received more than their fair share of rejections


Conclusion

No matter your genre, style, or background, working your way through an MFA program can be a transformative experience, where you can develop deep relationships with your writing process, as well as your professors, colleagues, and friends. Remember, always apply to fully-funded programs and never take out loans to pay for tuition when so many high quality and debt-free options exist.