As my Dad likes to say, “money’s not funny,” and he would be right. This is especially true when considering all the funding options (or lack thereof,) for your MFA or PhD in writing. I’d be lying to you if I said the humanities discipline had an abundance of cash. I’d also be lying to you if I denied the fact that I too am wrestling with the amount of dollar signs flashing across my face for my PhD. The rumors are true. The humanities are broke, and universities across the board are struggling. For the most part, money is not going to fall from the sky and hit you in the head, so here is what I know.

During the cutthroat MFA application season a few years back, some people I talked to refrained from applying anywhere but to places that fully funded every student they accepted. Fully funded means exactly what you think. The department covers your tuition bill, and more often than not, also includes a TA position with a modest stipend. Of course, with this stable set up comes with a catch. All of these MFA programs have a 5% or less acceptance rate. They are the most competitive in the country, but applicants apply anyway in valid desperation for that full ride, and prestige. (Maybe they have no other options but to be fully funded, but I cannot comment on individual financial situations.) The ending is more often than not a bleak one. Because the competition is so fierce, many people are devastated when rejection letters roll in, and they have zero graduate school to go to.

That is not to say there aren’t talented writers out there who get in, but only applying to these types of programs is (in my opinion,) unrealistic at best. Seth Abramson who wrote “The Insiders Guide to Graduate Degrees in Creative Writing” says funding is the most important priority for applicants. He also states that the majority of MFA programs are not fully funded. If the state of things are this bad, then what are the other options?

Depending on your financial situation, I would say cast a wide net when you’re applying. Look for the fit of the program first, and then see about the money piece. You are going there for at least two to three years so consider, will it work for you? Usually, the information about funding only occurs after acceptance. Funding options vary widely year by year and by program. It is the unknown unknown and it wouldn’t be fair for me to explicitly say what is best for everyone.

I personally applied to MFA’s in the 2020-2021 COVID-19 season when universities across the country were hemorrhaging money. Places I wanted to attend either weren’t taking applicants that year or were slashing the number of available seats. I had a dream, and a portfolio of writing to submit without any professor available within a 2,500-mile radius who could look it over. I flew by the seat of my pants. Money was of course a factor, but it wasn’t the only one. I looked closely at the fit of the department including its curriculum, faculty, what they published in their literary journal, anything that could give me a clue into the feel of the place. Could the program get me to where I wanted to go? I applied all across the country to both high residency and low residency. High residency was what I wanted, (which is where you are on campus daily as a full-time student taking all in person classes,) but they are more competitive than low residency, (or so they say.) At the time I knew nothing about selectivity or rankings, so I just went for it.

In the end I got into three high residency programs. One didn’t give me any funding, one gave me a little, and the last one (where I attended,) gave me a 50% tuition remission scholarship. The last year of my MFA I was lucky enough to be granted a full scholarship and a teaching position. This is all to say, you never know, but that is the vexing part about applying. Its human nature to want guarantees and security but whether it be a full ride, 50% funding, or no funding at all, these are all priorities everyone has to weigh for themselves when considering a degree in the humanities. (Trust me, I’m right there with you!)

Overall, no matter what, Seth Abramson encourages students to not go into substantial debt for their MFA or PhD, and to that I agree. Tread wisely and be fully informed.

Until Next Time,

Lena N. Gemmer