The program offers a limited number of PhD fellowships, which support nine months of study at $11,000 and include tuition waivers, the remission of fees, including out-of-state fees, and partially subsidized health insurance. At present, it is a package worth some $22,000.

The department and the university award several non-teaching fellowships annually to students writing dissertations in the English Department. These fellowships, the Pringle and University Fellowships, support one semester of uninterrupted writing and research. Graduate student participation in scholarly conferences is supported by travel funds from the department and from the University's Graduate Student Senate. To encourage academic and professional engagement among its graduate students, the department reimburses students the costs of annual membership in professional organizations and councils such as the MLA, the NCTE and CCCC.