Tuition & Fees

Tuition, Travel & Other Costs

The Spalding MFA program is among the most affordable of the top-tier low-residency MFA in Writing programs. Our MAW and Graduate Certificate courses also offer excellent graduate education on an economical model. Spalding does not charge a registration fee, residency fee, or graduation fee.

Our students and our diverse, prize-winning faculty stay in the historic, four-star Brown Hotel for about the same price other programs charge for a dorm room. Our location in Louisville—a city that consistently shows up on top destination lists for its arts, dining, parks, and historic neighborhoods—allows us to provide rich field trips and attend arts events as part of our curriculum.

Our virtual summer residency option allows students to stay on track for graduation, engaging with the same curriculum and studying with the same faculty as at on-campus residencies, without incurring travel expenses. Tuition is the same for both types of residency.

Students in the Graduate Certificate or MAW program can opt to matriculate into the MFA program and complete both programs for about the same price as the MFA degree alone.

Louisville

Students cover travel to Louisville, housing, and most meals. All faculty and most out-of-town (and some in-town) students stay at the historic, four-star Brown Hotel, which also serves as our off-campus event site and social hub. The cost ranges from about $599 (double) to $1,162 (single) for seven nights at the Brown. The School provides a few group meals; for other dining, nearby restaurant options abound.

Hotel garage parking costs $15 a day. Parking on campus is free.

Virtual

Since students attend virtual residencies from their home, no travel costs are involved.

Students read 8 to 10 books each semester. Costs vary, perhaps $150-$250.

The university has a $75 per semester Student Services Fee that supports health and counseling services and education.

For more information about tuition, fees or other associated expenses, please visit our Cost of Attendance page.

Federal Student Loans

For all programs in the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing, tuition, housing, and other expenses may be covered by federal student loans.

Federal loans for graduate school are available to most U. S. citizens and eligible non-citizens unless they have defaulted on previous student loans or have reached the lifetime limit (see www.fafsa.gov). Students in the Spalding low residency MFA, MAW, and Graduate Certificate programs are full-time graduate students and are usually eligible to borrow up to $20,500 per year.

Learn more about how to apply for federal aid.

Scholarships

Scholarships for incoming students typically range from $500 to $2,000. In 2022, we awarded $58,305 in scholarships.

Additional $2,500 scholarships are now available, benefiting new creative writing students who demonstrate need by filling out the FAFSA, made possible through a generous $50,000 gift from the Renau Foundation.

Graduate Assistantships

Assistantships are available for tuition remission of about $600-$1,800 per semester. Assistantships may involve working on the social media team, assisting the School of Writing staff, or serving as student editor for our literary magazine. Students can complete most assistantships from home.

In 2022, we awarded $27,812 in graduate assistantships.