lilleopard

I am currently making a list of my top 20 grad schools to apply to - I am interested in MA,PhD English Programs or MFA Creative Writing Programs. Some schools have very poor websistes and are more than mysterious about their funding - often not even mentioning if assistantships, grants, etc are an option, let alone any details about them. The potential financial aid package is a huge deciding factor on where I am going to apply, so I was wondering if it would be considered appropriate to contact the departments I am interested in even before applying and inquring about their funding opportunities? As always, discussions about money can easily be interpreted as rude or "focusing on the wrong thing" and I want to make sure I am not making a misguided move. Your advice/experience is greatly appreciated!