Graduate Funding Information

International Students

Applying as an international student requires a few more steps in the application process. Click here for information on how to apply and read the information on the International Student Scholarship Services web site.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship

In their applications, students may request a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA), which comes with a stipend and tuition waiver (which eliminates tuition and non-resident fees); students are responsible for all other required student fees. GTA positions are only offered with Fall admission.

See here for more information, but, for example, if one out-of-state credit cost $1024.80, then with the tuition waiver, one out-of-state credit would cost $97.30 ($97.30 is the total cost of student fees). In this scenario, full time would cost $9223.29 without the waiver, and $875.80 with the waiver. Full time for graduate students is nine credit hours (three classes).

GTA positions offer a stipend of $12,169 per year for teaching two courses each term (starting in Spring 2023), with a tuition waiver (student is responsible for student fees; see above). A limited number of Lawrence Sanders Fellowship (which start at $12,000 per year and tuition waiver), are also available on a competitive basis. Assignments involve teaching first year writing courses. From time to time we have a limited number of Research Assistant positions available.

GTA Requirements

For your first Fall semester with a GTA, you're required to enroll in ENC 6700: Studies in Composition Methodology and Theory and ENG 6925: Colloquium in English; our graduate advisor will enroll you in these courses. You're also required to attend mandatory orientation workshops the week before the Fall semester begins.  Holding the assistantship requires that you register for three courses in the graduate program each semester, or one course in addition to ENC 6700 and ENG 6925.  Please contact the English Graduate Advisor (561-297-2974) to assist in registration.  In combination with your coursework, your teaching assistantship comprises a full-time commitment and is given with the expectation that you do not have additional employment.  We expect you to give your coursework and teaching duties a high priority.

While the Creative Writing Program works diligently to ensure that all prospective students receive a GTA position, the amount of funding we have is limited and varies year to year. Please let us know in your statement of intent if you would like to be considered for a GTA position. Feel free to include a resume or C.V. if you feel that will enhance your chances.

MFA students who have taken CRW 6024: Teaching Creative Writing and have taught for two consecutive semesters have the opportunity to apply to be a GTA for the undergraduate Creative Writing class CRW 3010: Creative Writing.

Writing Consultant

Students may also apply to work as writing consultants in the University Center for Excellence in Writing (UCEW), which substitutes for one section of first-year composition (so you'd work 10 hours at the writing center and teach one class instead of two).  Writing consultants commit 10 hours per week to the UCEW, which includes time devoted to training and workshops.  If you're interested in applying for a position, visit http://www.fau.edu/UCEW to learn more about the center and to download an application by going to the "About Us" page and following the link under "Job Opportunities." The UCEW is a good option for students beginning coursework in Spring terms as GTA positions are not available then.

Types of funding available:

  • $12,169 graduate assistantship (starting Spring 2023), with tuition remission (students are still responsible for student fees)
  • Lawrence Sanders Fellowship, which provides a stipend of $12,000 the first year and $15,000 the second and third years, and tuition remission (students are still responsible for student fees)
  • Partial stipend for serving as editor-in-chief of the FAU literary magazine, Coastlines
  • Swann Award for graduate travel
  • Writing consultant at the University Center for Excellence in Writing
  • Thesis Award for best creative thesis
  • Annual Aisling Awards for the best poem and prose pieces published in Coastlines
  • The Graduate College offers several fellowships for current graduate students.
  • The financial aid office offers scholarships for graduate students. There is not a graduate student scholarship section on their website, but if the scholarship doesn't specifically say "undergraduate," graduate students are encouraged to apply

Other resources for financial aid:

In order to check the legitimacy of a financial aid consultant or scholarship search organization, visit these Web sites: