The Iowa Arts Fellowship (IAF) is designed to help recruit the most talented artists to MFA programs at the University of Iowa. The Iowa Arts Fellowship provides MFA students with a first year fellowship. During this protected time, students will focus on completing their scholarly activities and creative works.

 

Value

This is a one-year award that includes a $21,400 academic year fellowship stipend plus a scholarship for full tuition and 50 percent of the mandatory fees as listed in the tuition and mandatory fees table. Students will be responsible for the remainder of their mandatory fees and any course fees. Recipients of the Iowa Arts Fellowship may not hold other paid appointments (TA, RA, instructor) during their fellowship year. The appointing program must provide the remaining years of financial support to a student receiving this fellowship. This funding support must be a 25% or greater graduate assistantship or equivalent fellowship. 

Typically fellowships cannot be used in combination with any other source of support (e.g., fellowship/scholarship, grant, graduate assistantships, or employment outside the University of Iowa) since the fellowships are meant to provide protected time for the student to advance their studies. Failure to report additional employment can be considered in future applications/nominations/continued Graduate College funding for both the student and the department. For more information or to ask for a possible one-time exception, contact the Graduate College.

 

Minimum Requirements

Departments/Programs may select their strongest newly admitted MFA students to nominate.

Fellowship nominations will be accepted from the following departments/programs:

  • Art
  • Book Arts
  • Comparative Literature - Translation
  • Creative Writing
  • Dance
  • Film and Video Production
  • Nonfiction Writing
  • Spanish Creative Writing
  • Theatre Arts

 

Application

Students must be nominated by their department or program.

Online nominations must include the following items as separate PDF files:

  • Nomination letter from the Director of Graduate Studies
  • Copy of the student's complete application, including all materials considered for admission (admissions application, signed letters of reference, college transcript(s), CV, portfolio, etc.)

Nominations must be submitted online at https://workflow.uiowa.edu/form/iowaarts by the department or program, with all materials prepared as PDF documents. Applications submitted by the student (and not someone in the department such as the DGS, DEO or grad coordinator) will be voided and not considered.  

 

Deadline

The deadline for submissions for the 2025-2026 academic year is Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 5pm. Submissions will be accepted in Workflow beginning Monday, March 3, 2025. Please note, you will receive a blank page if you click on the Workflow submission link before the form is officially open.

 

Additional Information

Please direct any questions to Jennifer Crawford (jennifer-crawford@uiowa.edu or 319-335-3493) or grad-fellowships@uiowa.edu.