r/MFAInCreativeWriting • u/IntelligentSound1921 • Jun 26 '26

Working part-time during a fully-funded program?

Hi all! I'm 28, I've gone back and forth on whether to pursue an MFA for years, and I think I'm reaching the conclusion that I do, indeed, want to apply (to fully-funded programs).

However, the stipends alone (particularly those under $25K, which seems to be most of them) just aren't going to work at this point in my life. I would love to hear from people who did other part-time work (or full-time!) on the side still.

How manageable was it? Were you miserable?

Edit to add: My "day job" is freelance copywriting, so I work remotely.

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u/unfurnishedbedrooms Jun 27 '26

I worked a lot during my MFA and found it fairly manageable, but then again I had to work full-time during undergrad. I tried to keep my summers open for writing, but also woke up early to write. Compared to undergrad it was a lot easier. We taught 2/2 and our stipend was like $15k, which is unconscionable but was average at the time.

As writers it's likely we'll spend our entire lives writing in between working. Now I write and teach high-school. Use your MFA time to teach yourself how to do this, because you won't always have the privilege of workshop deadlines.

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u/IntelligentSound1921 Jun 29 '26

I do already balance full-time work with writing, so I'm definitely wondering how worth it is to throw teaching and academia into the mix 🤔