MFA in Creative Writing

Program Scholarships

Alumni/Mobil Fiction Endowed Fellowship

The Alumni/Mobil Fiction Endowed Fellowship was established in 1994 to assist graduate students in fiction writing. The fund provides an annual fellowship for a student in the MFA program who is concentrating in fiction. If you have any questions, please contact the MFA program for more information.  

Anthony and G. Louise Otto Endowed Scholarship

The Anthony and G. Louise Otto Endowed Scholarship was established in 2008 by former University President Alan G. Merten and his wife, Sarah L. (Sally) Merten, in honor of her parents, Anthony and Louise Otto. The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships for students pursuing a master of fine arts in creative writing. Recipients may be in-state or out-of-state students and will qualify on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Students should apply using George Mason's scholarship portal.

Cynthia Wynn Herman Endowed Scholarship

The Cynthia Wynn Herman Endowed Scholarship was established in 1995 in memory of Cynthia Wynn Herman, MA English '90, by her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Wynn, joined by others, to benefit students pursuing a degree in English with an interest in women's studies. Cynthia Wynn Herman, an alumna of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, was assistant director of the Writing Center and editor of the women's studies program newsletter. The fund aims to provide scholarships for undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a degree in English within the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Preference will be given to a returning student with a demonstrated interest in women's studies. The recipient will qualify based on academic merit and financial need. The recipient may be an in-state or out-of-state student and a full-time or part-time student. The scholarship may be renewable. Students should apply using George Mason's scholarship portal.

Dan Rudy Fiction Endowed Award

The Dan Rudy Fiction Prize was established by the family and friends of Dan Rudy (1947-1983), fiction writer and George Mason University MFA candidate. This fund is to be used for a fiction prize to be awarded every year to a graduate student in the program for a short story. Questions about this award should be directed to the English Department.

Mark Craver Endowed Poetry Award

The Mark Craver Poetry Award was created in honor of Mark Craver, an MA and MFA alum as well as a popular George Mason adjunct professor and area high school teacher until his death in January 2004. Mark was the author of several books of poems, including The Problem of Grace, Seven Crowns for the White Lady of the Other World, Blood Poems, and They Come for What You Love. His last book, Say When, was published posthumously. The fund will support one or more student awards at George Mason. Recipient criteria: currently enrolled MFA student on the poetry track, selected based on outstanding achievement in poetry writing, either full-time or part-time student, either in-state or out-of-state. Questions about this award should be directed to the English Department.

Mary Roberts Rinehart Endowed Fellowship

The Mary Roberts Rinehart Endowed Fellowship was established in 1998 by Mrs. Rinehart's granddaughter Gratia Rinehart Montgomery to encourage and promote creative writing by providing scholarships or fellowships for deserving creative writing students. If you have any questions, please contact the MFA program for more information.  

Mary Roberts Rinehart Nonfiction Award

To help aspiring authors, the family of the late Mary Roberts Rinehart began a number of years ago awarding small grants to writers whose work showed particular promise. These grants were given to honor Ms. Rinehart, a writer of fiction and nonfiction whose work was popular in the earlier decades of the 1900s. In 1983, the Rinehart family established The Mary Roberts Rinehart Fund at George Mason University to finance annual grants to promising writers. Currently, three grants are awarded in spring for the best nominated manuscript in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Michael and Robin Kelley Endowed Scholarship

The Michael and Robin Kelley Endowed Scholarship was established in 2006 by the late Dr. Michael R. Kelley and his wife, Robin B. Kelley, for any first- and second-year master of fine arts student whose work engages in topics of social justice, access, equity, or any socially/culturally relevant topics broadly speaking. Dr. Kelley, a former trustee of the George Mason University Foundation and professor of English and telecommunications, also served on the faculty of the School of Public Policy (now the Schar School of Policy and Government). Students will submit a paragraph describing their work and how it engages with topics related to social justice, access, equity, or any socially/culturally relevant topics. Students should apply using George Mason's scholarship portal.

Robert Raymond Scholarship Fund

The Robert Raymond Scholarship Fund was established in 2018 to provide support to incoming graduate students in the MFA in creative writing program. Recipients will qualify on the basis of financial need and academic merit and will represent a minority population. This scholarship is not renewable.

Virginia Downs Poetry Endowed Award

The Virginia Downs Poetry Award was established by the family and friends of Virginia Downs (1916-1984), poet and George Mason University graduate. The award is given for a single poem of 60 lines or less, on any subject, and in any form. The competition is open to any currently enrolled George Mason University student, graduate or undergraduate; students are limited to one submission. Questions about this award should be directed to the English Department.