First-Year Funding

Except in rare circumstances, we are able to fund all domestic and international students who apply by the fellowship deadline with a full fellowship and stipend for their first year.

The fellowship pays full tuition and all fees except course fees of approximately $24 per quarter and a one-time $160 single document fee in the fall. We also include a stipend to go toward living expenses. The stipend is variable each year, dependent upon our budget and the add-ons that the Graduate Division might give individuals who meet certain criteria, such as a high undergraduate GPA.

Our base stipend for Fall 2022 entry was $5568 for the year. Students with add-ons from the Graduate Division may receive stipends as high as $12,000.

If you submit an application for admission by January 5, you are automatically eligible for fellowship funding. There is no separate application for the fellowship. 

International students receive the base funding package of tuition coverage and a stipend, but are not eligible for add-ons from Graduate Division.

Second-Year Funding

As a second-year student, you may apply to be a teaching assistant (TA) in the program. Your teaching assistantship will pay full tuition and all but approximately $200 of your quarterly fees. You will receive a monthly salary of $2,582 for teaching one course per quarter.

We grant assistantships based on good academic standing, generous citizenship in the program, teaching potential, and professionalism. While an assistantship is not guaranteed, we do try to plan so that all qualified students are funded.

We typically only hire second-year students for TA positions because it is usually their only source of funding. When we have a deficit of second-year students, we may hire a first-year student as a TA for one quarter. 

Potential Third-Year Funding 

If you are a second-year student, you may apply for an additional one to two quarters of funding for an optional third year. Our faculty select a maximum of two applicants to present to the Graduate Division. The Graduate Division awards additional quarters in a competitive university-wide process. Successful applicants exhibit extraordinary creative talent and strong potential for future book publication and/or play/film production.