Applications must be received by March 1 for July Residency.

Applications must be received by September 1 for January Residency. 

THE HOLDEN RESIDENCY SCHOLARSHIP 

for non-degree participation in a single residency by a writer of color

The Holden Residency Scholarship, provided by the Holden Fund for Diversity at Friends of Writers, Inc., covers residency-only tuition and room/board/facilities fees for a non-matriculating writer of color in either fiction or poetry for a single residency.  This opportunity is intended for a writer who is contemplating entering an MFA program in creative writing and wishes a fuller introduction to what our program offers and entails before applying to the degree program. The student will be responsible for any other residency-related expenses, including travel and books. Writers who have previously earned an MFA in creative writing are ineligible. 

The Holden Residency Scholar will participate fully in all events of the MFA Program for Writers’ ten-day residency, attending lectures and classes, workshop and bookshop sessions, and readings. They will also have a one-on-one conference with a faculty member. Please note that no graduate credit is earned, independently or toward a subsequent degree, during this residency-only engagement.

Holden Residency Scholar applicants will be evaluated by the same criteria and standards used for full-program applicants. Only one scholarship will be awarded per residency. The program reserves the right not to award the scholarship if candidates do not meet the criteria. 

A Holden Residency Scholar who subsequently applies for full program admission must undergo the same process as other applicants, with a new or revised manuscript and essays, but the admission fee will be waived.