Funding

Graduate Assistantships

A number of graduate assistantships are awarded to students in the NEOMFA program each year by the individual gateway institutions: The University of Akron, Cleveland State University, and Kent State University. Appointments are based on academic merit, experience in the field, and recommendations. Positions vary in terms of specifics, but all involve teaching, research, or administrative duties along with some form of tuition remission and stipend.

Graduate assistantships are competitive and are not guaranteed with admission. Although the NEOMFA has input in the placement process, assistantships are administered by the individual gateway universities and not by the program itself. 

Currently, there are approximately 25 NEOMFA students with graduate assistantships across the three gateways. Assignments include teaching sections of undergraduate writing courses, tutoring in a university writing center, and working for special programs. 

Graduate assistantships are awarded only for applicants for full-time study beginning in the Fall semester, and with the NEOMFA's January 15 deadline. Generally, assistantships are assigned for the first year of full-time study and are renewable for a second and third year with satisfactory performance.

Consideration for Graduate Assistantships

Applicants to the NEOMFA program seeking graduate assistantships should follow the specified guidelines for consideration for their intended gateway university. These guidelines are listed by gateway university on our Apply page.

Because the guidelines for GA consideration vary from one university to another, we ask that you please read them carefully. 

For questions regarding assistantships, contact your intended gateway's campus coordinator.

Ambassador Positions

The NEOMFA program funds two to three student ambassador positions annually. These student ambassadors receive an honorarium and some additional support to promote program events, represent the NEOMFA at conferences, maintain peer correspondence, host casual gatherings, and generally foster a sense of community.

Ambassadorships are selected through an open application process evaluated by the NEOMFA staff. 

Ambassadors can be full-time or part-time students, but they must have completed at least two semesters in the program by the time they would begin serving.

Guidelines for applying are distributed in the spring semester.

Gateway-Specific Scholarships & Awards

The following two gateway universities in the NEOMFA consortium also offer relevant scholarships and awards of their own. Students based at these two gateways can consult with their campus coordinators for more information on these opportunities.

The University of Akron:
Department of English Graduate Awards

Cleveland State University:
English Department Scholarship Information

NEOMFA program icon with outline of Ohio.

Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts
Department of English
Cleveland State University
Music & Communications Building 234
2121 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

(216) 687-3957
info@neomfa.org

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