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MFA in Writing Tuition and Fees

Annual Tuition and Fees

Summer 2024 Term

  • Tuition, including room and board, is $11,734 per term
  • Tuition bills typically go out by mid-April for summer term, with payment of the total balance (after financial aid and scholarships) due by May 22.

Other indirect costs (used in calculating financial aid eligibility)

  • Books and supplies (estimated) $1,000
  • Transportation (U.S. citizens) (variable by state) $100–$1,000
  • Estimated federal loan fees $182

Other required college fees

  • Graduation residency charge (one-time charge) $1,003
  • Application fee (one-time charge) single genre $75; dual genre $100
  • Enrollment deposit (one-time charge; non-refundable; applied toward tuition for the first term) $500
  • International students SEVIS and visa fees (variable)

Scholarships 

The Writing Seminars offers scholarships to the emerging voices we want to support and read. Awards are made through a combination of merit and need; there is no additional application process. In addition, we offer the Residential Teaching Fellowship, which provides full tuition remission for one term, plus housing and board.

Financial Aid

ALL Bennington MFA students who demonstrate need as determined by the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program receive financial aid. Following are the various forms of financial assistance Bennington College awards to Master of Fine Art in Writing students.

The federal student loan is the primary loan resource for most graduate students. Federal Grad PLUS loans may be available to MFA students if the federal unsubsidized student loan will not cover expenses.

MFA students can borrow an amount covering the cost of tuition, residency, and an allowance for books, supplies, and transportation. Living costs during the period of non-residency are not covered by loans or other aid. 

International Students

International students who do not have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency must complete an International Certification of Finances in order to receive a Form I-20 and apply for a F-1 student visa. Once your Certification of Finances has been approved by Financial Aid, and you have submitted the Request for I-20 form, the College will issue your I-20 and you will be asked pay the $350 I-901 SEVIS fee. For more information on the I-901 SEVIS fee, visit the Homeland Security: Study in the States website. After you have your I-20 and pay the SEVIS fee, you can schedule your F-1 visa appointment at your U.S. Embassy or Consulate. For specific instructions, refer to the embassy or consulate’s website

Because you are applying to a low-residency program, your SEVIS record will be terminated after each session and a new I-20 will be issued for each session. This means you must complete a new Certificate of Finances for each academic year, submit the Request for I-20 form, pay the SEVIS fee, and obtain a visa for each of the five sessions you will attend Bennington. For more information, please contact International Student Services (iss@bennington.edu), the designated school officials (DSOs) at Bennington College.

Updated March 2024