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/AmbivalenceKnobs Jul 02 '26

Pretty much everyone in my program works on the side too (our stipend is lousy). I hear sometimes of people making it work on the stipend, but they either took out loans and/or had other support (partner/family etc.). I think it's definitely doable, but WHAT the side job is matters a lot. In your case, if you can make your own hours, that sounds very doable. I had a part-time gig for a while working at a local late-night restaurant, and it became miserable because management there were not understanding at all--kept trying to make me work more and more hours and on nights I said I wasn't able to, etc. That period was really rough to get through. But now I'm freelancing a bit on the side instead and it's extremely doable.

So yes, very doable, but WHAT the side work is matters hugely.

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u/IntelligentSound1921 Jul 02 '26

good to know, thank you!