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Merit Scholarships

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Graduate level merit-based scholarships are offered by your graduate program and/or graduate admissions office. Once offer recipients have been finalized, your graduate program will forward that list on to the Office of Financial Aid so that it can be included in your online student portal offer letter. If you have any questions about these awards, you will need to contact that school or office directly.

The following resources provide additional information on funding opportunities for graduate students:

• Office of Graduate & Professional Studies
• College of Arts & Sciences
• Kogod School of Business
• School of International Service
• School of Communication
• School of Public Affairs
• School of Education
• Washington College of Law
• Office of Merit Awards

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Federal Title IV Funding

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If you are admitted to a Master’s or PhD program, and you meet the eligibility requirements for Federal Title IV aid, then you may be eligible for one or more of the following types of federal financial aid assistance.

• Federal TEACH Grant
• Federal Work Study
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
• Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

Both the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan require that you complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling prior to receiving these funds. These documents can be completed online at https://studentaid.gov.

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How to Apply for Federal Title IV Funding

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You will need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at https://studentaid.gov. Enter our school code 001434 so that the results are forwarded on to the AU Office of Financial Aid for review. When you submit your aid application, make sure you are submitting this for the correct year. For example, you would submit the 2025-2026 FAFSA to apply for the summer 2025, fall 2025, and spring 2026 terms.

Note: The 2025-2026 FAFSA is delayed and will be available online on December 1, 2024.

The Office of Financial Aid will review FAFSAs on an on-going basis for graduate students. Once you submit your FAFSA, please allow 3-5 business days for our office to receive this and then an additional 7-10 business days for our office to review your application. You will be notified if any additional information is needed.

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Deadline to Apply for Federal Title IV Funding

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You should submit your application at least one month prior to the start of the term to ensure your funding will be available when classes start. Do not wait to apply for aid! Once a term ends or once you drop below a half time enrollment status, you may no longer be eligible to receive aid for that term.

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Cost of Attendance

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The Cost of Attendance (COA) is a summary of the average anticipated educational expenses that a student incurs while enrolled at American University. The COA will vary based on academic level, credits enrolled, program, and/or location. You can find the COA for your program on our website. The COA is updated annually in late spring each year.

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New Students Applying to On-campus Graduate Programs

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New students applying for admission will receive their offer letter once your graduate program has finalized their admissions decisions. Dates vary for the different academic programs, but all students who are admitted and have a completed aid application should receive their offer letter by mid-April. Go ahead and submit your application at the same time you apply for admission so that you can receive your offer letter as quickly as possible. The offer letter will initially only include the federal aid for which you are eligible. A revised offer letter will be sent to you at a later date if you are offered a merit scholarship by your department.

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New Students Applying to Online Graduate Programs

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New students applying for admission will receive their offer letter once they are both admitted and have a completed aid application. The first offer letters are sent out in December and then continue on a weekly basis as students are both admitted and have a completed aid application. Go ahead and submit your application at the same time you apply for admission so that you can receive your offer letter as quickly as possible. The offer letter will initially only include the federal aid for which you are eligible. A revised offer letter will be sent to you at a later date if you are offered a merit scholarship by your department.

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Continuing Students in a Semester Based Calendar Program

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Offer letters are released in April for students enrolled at least half time for the summer who are also on track to meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for renewal. Offer letters are releases in May for all other students once the spring grades have been recorded and reviewed.

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Continuing Students in a Four-Term Calendar Program

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Offer letters are released in June for students enrolled at least half time for the July T3 term who are also on track to meeting the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements for renewal. Offer letters are released in August for all other students enrolled at least half time for the October T4 term once the April T2 term grades have been recorded and reviewed.