Fellowships & Funding
For the First Year
Awards consist of scholarships, which cover the cost of tuition (for 2008-09, $36,200 for 2 semesters of 12 units each), plus University Fellowships, stipends up to $17,940, to cover living expenses. In addition, women should consider applying for the Mr. and Mrs. Spencer T. Olin Fellowships for Women in Graduate Study. Olin fellowships are awarded university-wide, so competition is keen. The award in 2008-09 carries a stipend of $21,735 and, if performance is satisfactory, it is renewable for the length of the degree program. Additionally available is The Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship Program for students who would contribute to the diversity at the university. This is a university-wide competition and offers full tuition scholarships plus a stipend of no less than $26,000 per year. There are no special awards for foreign applicants. Except for the Olin fellowship and The Chancellor’s Graduate Fellowship Program, there is no special application form for applying for financial aid. All applications are considered first for admission and then, on the basis of merit, for financial support. The financial statement referred to in the application form is not required for first-year support, but you may request it from the Graduate School (after January 1st) if you wish to apply for a loan to supplement any award you might receive.
For the Second Year
Support for the second year will generally consist of a tuition scholarship and an assistantship to teach sections of Fiction or Poetry Writing 1. The stipend for a teaching assistantship for 2008-09 is $17,850. Prior teaching experience is not required. However, appointments are based upon teaching potential, as well as performance in course work and workshops. The teaching load is one section of 12 students in each semester.
A Third Year in the Program
In past years, the department has been able to offer various attractive options for third year funding.