About Us
The Office of Merit Awards prepares American University students to compete for nationally competitive, merit-based scholarships and awards. We publicize major opportunities, select the university’s nominees, and provide intensive training to candidates. Although we are not a scholarship-finding service, we do maintain resources for you to research smaller or specialized merit-based grants not widely advertised to the university community. Among these resources is a scholarship database, the Merit Awards Listings. We warmly encourage students who identify their own scholarship possibilities to request our help in developing their application essays.
Most merit awards are open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors, and many are intended for use after the completion of a bachelor’s degree. Even so it is never too early to start planning for the application process. You may schedule an appointment as early as the second semester of your freshman year in order to express your interest, explore opportunities, and begin developing appropriate skills and credentials. We also welcome academically outstanding graduate students, especially in late August or early September of your first semester of study.
American University students have won funding for study abroad in dozens of countries, as well as nationally known internships and thousands of dollars in tuition. Perhaps the greatest benefits, however, come from the application process itself. Competing for a major award is a wonderful opportunity to:
Receive instruction not normally offered in the classroom, such as intensive career counseling and one-on-one mentoring by faculty;
- Sharpen your career and academic goals;
- Master techniques relevant to applying for graduate school; and
- Perfect your skills in writing, researching, and interviewing.