Federal Loans and Federal Work-Study
Graduate students enrolled at least half time in a Master's or PhD program may be eligible for federal loans and/or federal work-study. Graduate students enrolled in online programs are ineligible for federal work-study.
To apply, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no deadline, and the FAFSA will be reviewed on a rolling basis as it is received. It is recommended that the FAFSA be completed by May 1 each academic year. FAFSAs should be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the end of the academic semester in which you are enrolled.
You must also register with the U.S. Department of Education for a Personal Identification Number (PIN), which you can obtain at studentaid.ed.gov.
Merit scholarships are awarded by the academic departments.
The Financial Aid Office does not administer these awards. Please visit your school's merit scholarship webpage or contact their admissions office for further information.
School of National Service
American University (AU) is proud to be a School of National Service. AU's select online degree programs are committed to match the Americorp Segal awards of admitted students at the level of the award, up to $6,400 per student (that is a 100 percent match for one award per student). American University will require that Segal award recipients show the award amount for matching purposes. If a student has multiple Segal awards, the University agrees to match at least one of those awards.
The following online programs qualify for the Segal awards match: Master of Arts in Economics, Master of Public Administration and Policy, Master of Science in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security, Master of Science in Health Promotion Management, and Master of Science in Nutrition Education.
Please contact an admissions adviser for program specific information.
Complete your FAFSA online.
Be sure to list the American University (AU) FAFSA code, 001434, in the college release section. (A limited supply of paper FAFSA forms is available from the AU Financial Aid Office, if you prefer.)
Awarding Timeline
Continuing students will receive their notification letters via the student portal in late June after spring grades have been received and reviewed. Missing grades may delay the arrival of your award letter.
Additional Forms
You may be asked to download and complete a Verification Worksheet or other documentation as needed to complete your aid application. Do not complete these forms unless asked to do so by the Office of Financial Aid.
Loan Eligibility
Graduate students are ineligible for the subsidized Stafford loan as well as any federal or institutional grant funding. Typically, graduate students are eligible for $10,250 per semester in Unsubsidized Stafford loans as long as they are enrolled at least half time. Half time is defined as 5 credits for fall and 5 credits for spring. If your program has a summer semester, 2 credits is considered half time. Eligibility for the unsubsidized loan is determined based on information on the FAFSA as well as loan history found in the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS). Please note that graduate students may not borrow more than $138,500 in Stafford loans throughout the entirety of their academic careers. You may view your Stafford loan history at https://nslds.ed.gov/nslds/nslds_SA/.
Loan Requirements
In order for your loan to pay, you must accept the loan through the myAU portal. The Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling must be completed at www.studentloans.gov after accepting the loan. Please use your FSA ID and password to access the site and complete the required paperwork.
Grad PLUS Loan
Graduate students may be eligible for the Graduate PLUS loan to assist in defraying additional educational expenses not covered by the Stafford loans. The Grad PLUS loan is a credit-based loan from Direct Loans and requires an additional Master Promissory Note (MPN), if approved. For more information about this loan or to apply, please go to www.studentloans.gov. If approved by the lender, graduate students are eligible for up to the total cost of attendance minus all other aid received. In order for the PLUS loan to pay, you must complete both the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Counseling for this loan. Be sure to complete the correct documents on the lender website as there will be options for both the Unsubsidized loan and the Graduate PLUS loan.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
SAP is run at the end of your program's spring semester. For most students, this will occur at the end of April or early May after all spring grades are reported. Our office will conduct a review and awards for the following academic year will reflect a student's SAP standing. Graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of a 3.0, complete 2/3 of attempted cumulative coursework, and complete the degree program within the maximum time frame as defined in the AU Academic regulations. Please carefully read our complete SAP policy for additional information and questions.
Online graduate students enrolled at least half time in an online Master's program may be eligible for federal loans. However, graduate students enrolled in online programs are ineligible for federal work-study.
To apply, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). There is no deadline, and the FAFSA will be reviewed on a rolling basis as it is received. It is recommended that the FAFSA be completed by May 1 each academic year. FAFSAs should be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the end of the academic semester in which you are enrolled.
More information on applying for federal loans can be found on our Graduate Students webpage.
Tuition and Program Information
Listed below is information regarding the various online programs as well the as the Cost of Attendance for each specific program.
College of Arts & Sciences
MA in Economics
- There are three semesters for the online Master's in Economics program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
MS in Health Promotion Management
- There are three semesters for the online Masters in Health Promotion Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
MS in Nutrition Education
- There are three semesters for the online MS in Nutrition Education program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
School of Public Affairs
MS in Counter-Terorrism and Homeland Security
- There are three semesters for the online Master's in Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
Master of Public Administration and Policy
- There are three semesters for the online Master of Public Administration and Policy program (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
Office of Graduate & Professional Studies
MS in Measurement and Evaluation
- There are three semesters for the online Masters in Measurement and Evaluation (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
MS in Human Resource Analytics and Management
- There are three semesters for the online Masters in Human Resource Analytics and Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
MS in Sports Analytics and Management
- There are three semesters for the online Masters in Sports Analytics and Management (summer, fall, and spring), broken into 2 modules per semester. Dropping below half time status will result in a loss of aid. To be considered for summer aid, please be sure to have a valid FAFSA on file.
For more information, call us toll-free at 855-725-7614 to speak with an Admissions Advisor, or request more information online.
