Tuition, Fees, and Aid

The EOU MFA program prides itself in being one of the most affordable and best value low-residency options anywhere. All told, our MFA program costs $6,000-$7,000 less per year than most comparable low-residency programs in the region. New this year: A limited number of merit-based scholarships are available. Please see below.

Up-to-date tuition rates are found here. For the 2025-2026 academic year, Graduate tuition at EOU is $558.50 per credit, and the MFA program requires 60 credits across two years. Thus tuition is $16,755 per year if full-time. There is also a one-time matriculation fee of $350, as well as a student fee of $75 attached to each MFA course that amounts to $750 per year (this student fee supports visiting author appearances at the New Nature Writing Con during the summer residency, our online reading and conversation series, as well as other student opportunities).

Other program costs include any travel to and from Wallowa Lake and La Grande for our two weeks of summer residency as well as room and board. At Wallowa Lake, one can camp, stay in the iconic and atmospheric Wallowa Lake Lodge, or stay in town in Joseph, so costs are variable. Similarly, in La Grande one can opt to say in an EOU dorm room for a mere $162 for the week, or choose to stay in a hotel or AirBnB.

After filling out a FAFSA, students are currently eligible for direct federal loans of $20,500 per year (with a 1 percent loan fee and 8 percent interest rate as of December 2024; see current loan fees/rates here), sufficient to cover tuition and other basic costs for the degree like books, travel, and stays during summer residencies. These Title IV loans are capped in aggregate at $138,500, including any previous undergraduate or graduate loans. If additional funds are needed, students can also apply for a federal “PLUS loan” that is capped at the cost of program attendance (with a 4.2 percent fee and 9 percent interest rate as of December 2024); plus loans are approved unless there’s a record of “adverse credit.”

Please note that students must be enrolled in a minimum of five credits in a term in order to receive federal financial aid. For additional inquiries related to financial aid, students should contact EOU’s financial aid office by calling  +1 (541) 962-3550 or e-mailing fao@eou.edu.  

MFA Faculty Merit Award in Creative Writing

This merit-based award is offered to students who have been accepted into the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program and admitted to the University. The award is based on the exceptional quality of the applicant’s writing sample and demonstrated creative potential, as determined by the MFA faculty review committee during the admissions process.

Evaluation criteria may include, but are not limited to, originality of voice, command of craft, artistic risk-taking, and the promise for sustained creative development at the graduate level. No separate scholarship application is required; consideration is based on materials submitted with the MFA program application.

The award amount is generally up to $5,000 per year in tuition remission (amounts vary based on fund availability and cohort strength). In order to renew this award, the student must maintain the outlined requirements for completion of the MFA program and demonstrate satisfactory academic progress. Awards will be reviewed for renewal after Spring term and are subject to continued fund availability.

More information about possible scholarships from the EOU Foundation can be found here: https://www.eou.edu/scholarships/