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Admissions Scholarships/Awards
A small number of scholarships/awards are offered to incoming graduate students in the Creative Writing and Book Publishing programs:
Creative Writing Awards
Tom Bates Scholarships in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry: The $2,000 Tom Bates Fellowship is given to three incoming MFA students based on promise and achievement. Applicants will receive instructions on how to apply after the application deadline.
Roger Hocking Memorial Scholarship: The $3,500 Roger Hocking Memorial Award is given to one incoming MFA (Nonfiction) student based on promise and achievement. Applicants will receive instructions on how to apply after the application deadline.
Doris W. Braley Award in Poetry: The $5,000 Doris W. Braley Award in Poetry was established by Warren ("Buzz") Braley in honor of his mother, who loved, wrote, and published poetry. The Award is given to one incoming and one returning graduate poetry student. Incoming students are considered during the admissions process and there is no separate application; returning students receive a letter in late February/early March inviting them to apply. Recipients must be "non-traditional" (have not gone straight through from high school to graduate school) and must demonstrate qualities of ambition, perseverance, and promise in their poetry. Further, the gift is intended to "make a significant difference in their ability to pursue their poetry."
Book Publishing Award
Ooligan Diversity Scholarship: Indigo Editing, Design, and More offers a scholarship to an incoming Ooligan student to increase the representation of marginalized and underrepresented students in the program. Indigo believes it is crucial to support BIPOC, disabled, and people from other marginalized populations in pursuing careers in publishing so the industry can better represent those voices among editors, designers, publicists, authors, illustrators, audiobook narrators and producers, and readers. The award recipient will receive $1,000 toward tuition and fees to attend Ooligan Press/PSU’s Master in Publishing program as well as a mentorship opportunity with Indigo’s founder, Ali Shaw. Applicants will receive instructions on how to apply after the application deadline. For more information, visit Book Publishing's Admissions page.
Graduate Assistantships
English Department Graduate Assistantships (GAships) are professional opportunities designed to allow you to learn many facets of teaching in a collaborative and supportive program. A GA appointment is a kind of apprenticeship in which you not only practice teaching but also learn about being an academic professional and what it means to be a member of an English department.
GAs receive a stipend and a 9-credit tuition remission in fall, winter, and spring terms. GAs are appointed for two years, depending on performance (except for the Book Publishing Program, which appoints some of their GAs from the first-year student pool).
Apply
To apply, check the box on the program application when you are asked if you would like to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship. The application will then double as the GAship application. It is recommended that you include a copy of your resume or curriculum vitae on your application. You are required to submit a statement of interest in the GAship as well.
Duties
First-year English GAs typically tutor in the Writing Center for one quarter and teach WR 115 Introduction to College Writing or WR 121 College Writing for two quarters. Second-year English GAs typically teach each quarter; these courses may include introductory technical and creative writing.
More Information
For specific information on Graduate Assistantships, view the GA Handbook. Contact the Human Resources Department at 503-725-4926 for more information on the documentation required to accept your GAship and become a PSU employee, or visit the HR onboarding page and the EPAF guide.
Other Funding Options
Further sources of funding are listed on the Graduate School's Funding website. Some of these funding options include: