Students admitted to the MFA Program are guaranteed full financial support for up to four years (although one can elect to graduate after three). Assistantships include a stipend paid over nine months (currently $15,930), and full payment of up to 15 credit hours of graduate tuition. With careful planning and an ambitious schedule, some students have found the funding and time generous enough to earn an additional master’s degree alongside the MFA.
For general information regarding student health coverage, see this page on University Sponsored Health Insurance.
Graduate Assistantships
First-year Graduate Assistants with fewer than 18 hours of prior graduate coursework in English will be assigned to work in the Writing Center, to serve as small-section discussion leaders for 200-level literature lecture courses, or be assigned other duties such as faculty research assistant.
In the second year and beyond, Graduate Assistants routinely teach two courses per semester. Beginning as an instructor of first-year writing, GA’s receive ongoing training and support from the department’s composition specialists. Later, GAs are eligible to request other courses across our undergraduate curriculum, such as literature surveys, advanced composition, and creative writing courses.
Graduate School Fellowships and Awards
New and returning MFA students are eligible for these additional awards and scholarships, which provide increased stipends and in some cases additional support. There are no separate application processes for these awards; all eligible students receive consideration. (For additional information see UA Graduate School’s Scholarships & Fellowships).
- Graduate Council Fellowships
- David A. Francko Fellowships
- Capstone Fellowships
- Dean’s Merit Assistantships
- McNair Graduate Fellowships
Awards, Fellowships, and Grants for current MFA students
- Outstanding Teaching Awards
- Outstanding Research Awards
- Outstanding Service Awards
- Truman Capote Fellowships
- Truman Capote Prison Arts Fellowships
- Black Warrior Review editorial positions
Graduate Student Research and Travel Funding
We are proud of the robust support available for graduate student research and conference travel. The Graduate School and the College of Arts & Sciences also offer significant assistance; the Student Government Association and the department’s English Graduate Organization (EGO) are additional sources of research and travel funding; and the Capstone International Center, which allocates funding for international research and travel.