Fellowships
The Lee Hope Fellowship for Diverse Voices
Through the generous support of Lee Hope and the Solstice Institute, the MFA Program is able to award The Lee Hope Fellowship to support an incoming student of diverse background or experience. The Fellowship provides $500 toward first-semester tuition for a student who begins the program during the summer residency/fall semester.
All applicants are welcome to apply. The Hope Fellowship especially seeks to support individuals from cultural, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds who otherwise might not be adequately represented in the program. If you wish to be considered for this Fellowship, please include with your complete application a brief (1 – 2 pages, typed, double-spaced) essay explaining of how you meet the Fellowship’s criteria (above) and why the Fellowship would meaningfully support your pursuit of a degree in Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program. The Fellowship is awarded based on the applicant’s writing sample and his/her 1-2 page essay.
Applications for the Hope Fellowship are due March 15, 2012 (not a postmark date; materials must be received in our offices before or on March 15, 2012). Fellowship applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Notification letters will be mailed to the winner only by April 9, 2012. Awards must be applied toward the summer residency/fall semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a winter residency/spring semester start.
Genre-based Fellowships
Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing offers four fellowships for students starting the program during the winter residency/spring semester: the Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction, the Dennis Lehane Fellowship for Fiction, the Jacqueline Woodson Fellowship for a Young People’s Writer of African or Caribbean Descent, and the Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry. These Fellowships provide $1000 toward first-semester tuition for four students who begin the program during the winter residency/spring semester.
Applicants who want to be considered for a genre-based fellowship should submit a general application form no later than October 15, 2012 (not a postmark date; materials must be received in our offices before or on October 15). There is no separate application form. Awards are based on the quality of the writing sample and personal essay included as part of the general application process; notification letters will be mailed to winners only on November 9, 2012. Awards must be applied toward the winter residency/spring semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a summer residence/fall semester start.
To read bios of our donors, click the links below; our poetry donors wish to remain anonymous.
Need-Based Scholarships
MFA students who wish to be considered for a Pine Minor College need-based scholarship and/or federal student loans must apply for financial aid (see instructions below). This is a separate process from the admission application. Roughly twenty percent of our students receive need-based scholarships.
We recommend that you apply for financial aid at the same time that you apply for admission; however, you must be accepted for admission before you will receive a formal financial-aid award, including a need-based scholarship.
Prospective students applying for need-based scholarships are encouraged to submit their materials well in advance of the application deadline, regardless of whether they are applying for a summer residency/fall semester or winter residency/spring semester start. Admission to the program is run on a rolling basis, and so our limited number of need-based scholarships are awarded to eligible students until funds for each enrollment period are dispersed. It is therefore very important that students hoping for a need-based scholarship apply early.
Each need-based scholarship awarded will range from $2,000 to $4,000 total, allotted in $500 to $1,000 increments per semester over the course of four semesters.
Please note: Applicants are welcome to apply for both need-based scholarships and the Lee Hope Fellowship for Diverse Voices (for summer/fall only) or for a genre-based fellowship (winter/spring only). However, fellowships will be awarded following the application deadline for the semester in question; need-based scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.
Applying for Federal Direct Student Loans / Financial Aid
Step 1:
If you don’t already have a Federal Personal Identification Number (PIN), visit www.pin.ed.gov to register for one. The PIN will serve as your electronic signature. This process generally takes only two to three days.
Step 2:
Once you have your PIN, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students applying for January 2012 should complete the 11-12 FAFSA; Students applying for July 2012 should complete the 12-13 FAFSA.
In approximately one to two weeks, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) via e-mail from the federal processor. Review your SAR carefully. Any necessary corrections can be made online. Pine Manor receives your FAFSA information electronically.
Once you have been accepted into the program, your financial aid application will be reviewed, and we will send you notification of your loan eligibility. In order for us to disburse your Federal Direct Student Loans, please complete the following steps:
Online Direct Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling
- Go to https://studentloans.gov
- Under Manage My Direct Loans, select the “Sign In” button.
- After signing in, scroll down to Counseling and select “Complete Entrance Counseling”.
Online Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)
- Go to https://studentloans.gov
- Under Manage My Direct Loan, Select the “Sign In” button and fill in valid information.
- Scroll down to Master Promissory Note and select “Complete MPN”
- Select “Subsidized/Unsubsidized” Do not select “Grad PLUS”
- Be sure to print a copy of your MPN for your records.
- An electronic confirmation will be transmitted to the Financial Aid Office.
Should you have any difficulties, please contact Direct Loan Servicing at (800) 848-0979, or the PMC Office of Student Financial Services at 617-731-7628 or by email at sfs@pmc.edu.
Financial Aid Application Deadlines
If you are planning to apply for Federal loans, the FAFSA can be filled out any time during your application process.
Per above, we recommend students fill out the FASFA in tandem with the MFA application. Sooner is always better than later.
Questions about financial aid should be directed to: