Let’s talk about money, because it matters. So many residency lists quietly assume you can afford a $50 application fee for every program, three weeks away from paid work and a plane ticket on top, and for a lot of us that simply isn’t true. Every program on this list costs nothing to apply to and nothing to attend, and several will even pay for your travel or put a stipend in your hand. These are some of the most competitive programs out there, but please don’t let that scare you off, because “free” was made for writers exactly like you.
At the end, I’ve added three programs that are free to attend and charge a small application fee, but will waive it if the fee is the only thing standing between you and applying.
Last checked November 2026. Deadlines and fees change every year, so always confirm on the official site before you apply.
No Fee to Apply, No Fee to Attend
Trillium Arts “Miss Sarah” Fellowship for Black Women Writers
- Where: Mars Hill and Asheville, North Carolina
- Deadline: November 19, 2026, for July 2027. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free, with $1,000, a rental car and US travel
- Length: Ten days
- Who it’s for: Black women writers at any stage (the 2027 genre is nonfiction)
- What they look for: A clear proposal, a “Why Trillium Arts?” statement and a 10–15 page sample
Ucross Fellowships for Native American Writers
- Where: A ranch in the Bighorn foothills of northern Wyoming
- Deadline: January 15, 2027, for Fall 2027. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free, with a $1,500 stipend and a $2,000 award
- Length: Two to six weeks
- Who it’s for: Native American writers
- What they look for: Professional standing and the quality of your work
Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center
- Where: Lake Como, Italy
- Deadline: Expect the 2028 call around March 2027 (the last one closed March 20, 2026). Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free room, board and studio, with travel funding
- Length: 26 days
- Who it’s for: Accomplished writers with real recognition in their field
- What they look for: Work that can “inspire change and action”
Fondation Jan Michalski
- Where: Montricher, Switzerland
- Deadline: Expect a June–August 2027 window for 2028. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Your own cabin, breakfast and lunch, CHF 400 a week and travel
- Length: Two weeks to three months
- Who it’s for: Writers and translators of any age or nationality, beginners included
- What they look for: The literary quality of your project
Château de Lavigny
- Where: Lavigny, Switzerland, near Lake Geneva
- Deadline: Likely October 15, 2027, for 2028. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: A free room in a château, though you cook most meals
- Length: Four weeks
- Who it’s for: Writers with at least one traditionally published book
- What they look for: Writers who will thrive in an international community
Granada Writers in Residence Programme
- Where: Granada, Spain
- Deadline: Calls usually close in late August or early September (2026’s closed September 6). Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free room and full board, with round-trip airfare
- Length: 30 nights
- Who it’s for: Writers with two or more traditionally published books
- What they look for: A clear project and joy in public literary events
Gladstone’s Library Writers in Residence
- Where: Hawarden, Wales
- Deadline: No new call yet, and past windows ran February–March. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free room and meals, and past rounds paid a stipend and travel
- Length: Up to one month
- Who it’s for: Emerging authors with at least one traditionally published book
- What they look for: Work touching social justice, religion, history or politics
Green Box Arts
- Where: Green Mountain Falls, Colorado
- Deadline: Expect a September 2027 call. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free apartment, plus a “generous stipend”
- Length: About one month
- Who it’s for: Artists anywhere, but email first to confirm writers are eligible that year
- What they look for: Your strengths and direction, and community engagement
Gate 27
- Where: Istanbul and Ayvalık, Türkiye
- Deadline: Rolling, with monthly shortlists, though no 2027 call is posted yet. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: Free
- Cost to attend / stipend: No residency fee and housing included, but travel and visas are yours
- Length: Four to twelve weeks
- Who it’s for: Artists and writers of any nationality (it’s art-led)
- What they look for: Interdisciplinary, research-minded work
Free to Attend, With a Fee You Can Ask to Waive
Hedgebrook
- Where: Whidbey Island, Washington
- Deadline: Expect a February–April 2027 window for 2028. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: A fee, with up to 50 waivers per cycle
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free cottage and chef-made meals
- Length: Two to three weeks
- Who it’s for: Women-identified writers, published or not
- What they look for: An authentic voice and a passionate “Why now?”
Fine Arts Work Center Writing Fellowship
- Where: Provincetown, Massachusetts
- Deadline: December 15, 2026, for 2027–28. Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: $40–65 depending on when you apply, with limited waivers
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free apartment, $1,250 a month and a $1,000 exit stipend
- Length: Seven months
- Who it’s for: Poets and fiction writers without a published book
- What they look for: Anonymous samples, judged by genre
The Mount: Edith Wharton Writing Residency
- Where: Lenox, Massachusetts
- Deadline: Expect a September 2027 window (2026’s ran September 1 to October 1). Check the site, dates change yearly.
- Cost to apply: $25, waived for hardship
- Cost to attend / stipend: Free, with $500 and up to $250 for travel
- Length: One week
- Who it’s for: Emerging writers with no more than one published book
- What they look for: A clear purpose and a strong ten-page sample
Free programs fill up with applications fast, so treat each one like a love letter, written specifically to that place and the people who run it. Tell them why their mountain, library or island is the right home for your book right now, and let your sample do the rest. Your work deserves rooms like these, delighters, and money should never be the reason you don’t try.
Which free residency would you apply to first if you knew you’d get in?
Did this one delight you? Tap the heart.
Did this one stay with you? I’d love to hear what you think.
Leave a thought
