Financial Aid Opportunities

On a competitive basis, many different forms of Financial Aid are made available for our MFA Creative Writing Students.

Tutorships, TA-ships, Assistantships and Teaching Positions

In their first semester, many of our students apply to work as Tutors in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies (DRWS). Tutors are hired to work in the classroom with a faculty member as mentor. Tutors play an important role in the class by leading discussion groups and helping students work on assignments . More information is available at: http://rhetoric.sdsu.edu/programs/tutorial_program.htm

We are also currently in the process of creating a collaborative agreement with Border Voices for our students to be trained and work as Writers In Schools. We hope to begin this program in the Fall of 2008, and it will be open to our first semester MFA students. More information about Border Voices Programs is available at: http://www.bordervoices.com/

After their first semester, and once they have successfully completed RWS 609, many of our students apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship position in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing Studies. The position offers exciting opportunities for financial support and teaching experience. Teaching Assistants are hired to teach one or two developmental or general education writing courses (RWS 92A, 100 or 200). Information is available at: http://rhetoric.sdsu.edu/programs/ta_program.htm

In their final year of study, our students also apply to teach literature classes in the English Department (English 220) and Creative Writing Program (English 280). These positions offer financial support and the opportunity to teach literature and creative writing.

Our nationally-distributed literary journals, Poetry International and Fiction International, also offer paid Editorial Assistantships to qualified second or third year students. These assistantships offer financial support and allow the students to work in a magazine that publishes some of the nation’s most important authors.

During each academic year, the Department of English and Comparative Literature hires a limited number of Assistants and Tutors. For more information about this opportunity you may inquire at: EandCL@mail.sdsu.edu

Fellowships and Awards

SDSU Office of Financial Aid offers a number of scholarship opportunities for incoming students. More information is available at: http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/scholarship/index.html

SDSU Graduate School offers a Graduate Equity Fellowship Program. Many of our students have participated in this program in the past, and if you qualify, we strongly encourage you to apply. More information is available at: http://gra.sdsu.edu/ More information is also available at: http://dus.sdsu.edu/oas/scholarships_graduate.html

Information on SDSU Graduate School’s Financial Aid is available : http://gra.sdsu.edu/

Students With Disabilities are encouraged to apply to the Students With Disabilities Scholarship program at SDSU. The information is available here: http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/sds/scholarships.html

International Students are encouraged to apply for the fellowships available at our International Student Center. More information is here: http://www.isc.sdsu.edu/current/fin_scholarships.htm

SDSU Alumni Association also a scholarship program. More information is available at: http://alumni.sdsu.edu/scholarships.htm

Additionally, every year, depending on the budget restrictions, a number of scholarships, fellowships, and awards are available to our students on competitive basis. Also, on competitive basis, a limited number of out-of-state tuition waivers are available to first semester MFA students.

A number of Creative Writing Scholarships are available for the currently enrolled students. For more informations, see: https://studentaffairs.sdsu.edu/faodad/

For MFA students looking to live on campus, SDSU offers various assistantship positions that will allow you to live on campus for free or at considerably lower cost. Information is here: http://www.sa.sdsu.edu/housing/employ_job.html