For students wanting to participate in the Washington Semester or World Capital Programs, AU offers limited partial scholarships or part-time work opportunity awards. Freshman students or applicants can qualify for the AU Presidential Scholarship ($15,000), AU Deans' Scholarship (between $6,000 and $10,000), AU Leadership Scholarship, and the National Achievement and National Merit Scholarships.
Transfer students or applicants having a minimum GPA of 3.5 or higher or with 45 credits or more qualify for consideration for AU Transfer Merit Scholarships, which range between $6,000 and $15,000 per year, for two years only. Fall applicants must apply by March 1; spring applicants have a November 1 deadline.
AU offers two graduate merit scholarships. The competitive United Methodist scholarship covers tuition costs for full-time graduate students--U.S citizens or permanent residents--with membership in the United Methodist Church for at least two years. Students from Canada studying full time at AU colleges can apply for the Hart A. Massey Fellowship, which has a minimum award amount of $2,500. This fellowship can be renewed for one year, subject to satisfactory academic progress.
Established in 1968, the AU Frederick Douglass Scholarship Program has benefited approximately 1,500 students by providing partial or full tuition, books, room and board, and research or internship support. Renewable for four years of undergraduate study, this scholarship requires strong academic performance, leadership potentials, and proven community service and co-curricular activities.
AU also offers several need-based scholarships to students who fill out the relevant financial aid forms, including the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE. The Admissions Committee will consider applications for need-based aid in addition to merit scholarships.