Annual Tuition and Fees

Summer 2023 and Winter 2024 Terms

• 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; winter term bills go out by mid-October with payment due in full by December 15.

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 and are accepted into the low-residency MFA in Writing program at Bennington College must complete an International Student Certification of Finances in order to be issued a Form I-­20, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F­1) Student Status, for Academic Students. After you receive the Form I­-20, you will be able to pay the I­901 SEVIS fee (for more information on the I­901 SEVIS fee you may visit the Homeland Security: Study in the States website and schedule your visa appointment at your U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Read the embassy or consulate’s website for specific instructions.

Due to the fact that you are applying to a low-residency program, your SEVIS record will be terminated after each session and a new initial Form I-­20 will be issued for each session. This means that you will have to pay the SEVIS fee and obtain a visa for each of the five sessions you will attend at Bennington College. For more information, please contact International Student Services (iss@bennington.edu), the primary designated school officials at Bennington College.

Updated August 2023