Scholarships and Grants

At Baker, we know that the future leaders in education come from all academic, social and economic backgrounds. We understand that financing your education can be a challenge, which is why we offer financial support to eligible graduate students, both domestic and international, in the form of scholarships, partnership discounts and grants.

All admitted students, regardless of nationality, are considered for academic/merit scholarships for which they are eligible. In general, admitted students awarded scholarships have excellent academic credentials and exhibit exceptional leadership skills.

Graduate Merit Scholarships

Merit-based scholarships are available for all students who do not qualify for partner scholarships. Merit aid is determined upon admittance to the program. Decisions are made based on the strength of the application and are typically released with the decision for admission. Students are encouraged to apply early to guarantee merit.

Search all the fields by typing, for example, "special education."

Student Scholarships and Grants at the Baker School of Education
Degree Level	Opportunity Name	Award Range	Description	How to Apply	More Information
Undergraduate	Ruby King Bush Scholarship Foundation	100% of tuition	This is a fully funded scholarship for incoming undergraduate freshman established by AU trustee Wes Bush and his wife, Natalie, through their Golden Paws Foundation. The scholarship funds the student for four years at the university.
Graduate	Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	A 29% tuition scholarship is offered to graduate degree students employed here.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Double Eagle Graduate Scholarship	30% of tuition	Undergraduate alumni who become graduate students at the university, receive a guaranteed 30% tuition discount (inclusive of any credit sharing) on eligible graduate degree programs. Some exceptions apply (e.g. non-degree programs, affiliated AU programs, and students eligible for tuition remission as employees are not eligible).	APPLY HERE 2 letters of recommendation* and the application fee are waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation.	Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	US-Japan Exchange & Teaching Program Alumni Association (USJETAA) Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to students, staff, and professors taking on-campus programs only.	Participants will have the application fee and 1 letter of recommendation waived, except that EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation.	Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Undergraduate	Additional Scholarships	Varies	Aside from the three undergraduate scholarships listed here, the Office of Financial Aid administers additional awards. We strongly encourage merit award candidates to complete the forms required for need-based aid.	Apply through the Office of Financial Aid	Merit award recipients who have applied for need-based financial aid will be considered for any need-based aid for which they qualify beyond the amount of the merit award.
Undergraduate	Dr. Charlotte Wilderson Endowed Fund	Varies	The endowed scholarship is in support of undergraduate students in their junior and senior years, and graduate students.
Undergraduate	William Vincent Scholarship		For an undergraduate or graduate student enrolled at the Baker School of Education with a concentration in Special Education.		The scholarship awardee must maintain a 3.5 GPA and complete a minimum of 30 credit hours per year.
Graduate	Dean's Scholarship	$30,000	One Dean's scholar from each graduate program may be selected each fall and awarded $30,000. Scholars are chosen by a faculty board from the pool of admitted students.	Apply to a Baker graduate program before February 1, and note interest in this scholarship in yourstatement of purpose.	This highly competitive scholarship is not awarded every year and selected candidates will hear from AU Baker School of Education by February 21.
Graduate	Baker School of Education Graduate Scholarship Fund		Provides financial assistance to graduate students pursuing degrees within the Baker School of Education. Established through the generosity of Linda A. and H. Kent Baker, the fund expands access to high-quality graduate education and support student success.		Scholarships are awarded annually in accordance with University financial aid policies and are administered by the Office of Financial Aid in coordination with the academic leadership of the Baker School. Awards are applied toward a student’s cost of attendance and may be renewed from year to year, provided recipients remain enrolled and continue to meet eligibility requirements.
Graduate	Clara F. & David Londoner Scholarship		Awarded to a full- or part-time student enrolled in the Masters of Special Education program with a concentration on Special Education: Learning Disabilities.		Recipients must demonstrate a strong commitment to students with special need as well as commitment to teaching grades K-12.
Graduate	William Vincent Scholarship	Varies	For a graduate or undergraduate student enrolled at the Baker School of Education with a concentration in Special Education.		The scholarship awardee must maintain a 3.5 GPA and complete a minimum of 30 credit hours per year.
Graduate	Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington (AISGW) Member School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students employed here or at member schools.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Edmund Burke School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Georgetown Day School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Lab School of Washington Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	The Langley School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Maret School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	McLean School Employee Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	National Cathedral School Employee Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	The Potomac School Employee Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Sidwell Friends (Lower) School Employee Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	St. Albans School Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Washington International School Employee Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to employees here as part of AISGW member schools partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	City Teaching Alliance (CTA) Scholarship	29% of tuition	CTA students and alumni who wish to apply for additional Baker programs receive the scholarship. Students in the City Teaching Alliance program receive the greatest discount through our AU-CTA partnership.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	City Year Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to alumni, staff, and corps members who have completed their year of service (currently serving corps members are encouraged to apply during their corps year).	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students employed here.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students employed here.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students employed here.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students who have returned from their volunteer service.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students employed here.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Social Current Employees Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students employed here and at Social Current's subsidiaries.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Teach for America (TFA) Scholarship	29% of tuition	Offered to graduate degree students who are corps members, alumni, or staff here.	Application is part of the degree program application.	Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Adel Ait-Ghezala Graduate Research Fellowship	Varies	Offered to students in a master's or doctoral program at American University. The fellowships are intended to support applied, educational or policy-relevant research programs designed to improve the lives of the citizens of developing countries.	Learn where to apply here.	This is a competitive fellowship. Students must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward their degrees in order to be eligible. While preference will be given to students enrolled full-time, part-time students are welcome to apply. For priority consideration, apply by April 1 at 9:00 a.m. ET, with the final deadline is June 16 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Graduate	AmeriCorps and the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award	Up to $7,395 per student	In-person and most online degree programs are committed to match the Segal awards of admitted students at the level of the award, up to $7,395 per student through June 30, 2025 (that is a 100% match for one award per student). If a student has multiple Segal awards, the university agrees to match at least one of those awards and will consider additional matches, and recipients must show the award for matching purposes.		Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Doctoral Student Research Funding Match	Up to $500	For graduate student employees pursuing doctoral degrees, this provides support for professional development opportunities related to the student’s program of study. A doctoral graduate student employee may apply for matching funds of up to $500, to match funds provided by the student’s teaching unit or academic unit.	Learn where to apply here.	Contact [email protected] for more information
Graduate	Hart A. Massey Fellowship	Varies	Awarded each academic year to one or more incoming Canadian students (enrolled as residential or online students) pursuing graduate studies at AU.	Apply here.	The fellowship is applied to tuition charges. While preference will be given to students enrolled full-time, part-time students are welcome to apply.
Graduate	Maryland Joins Forces Scholarship	$10,000	For Maryland military-connected community members (defined as Maryland residents who are: Veterans, current service members, and spouses and children of Veterans or current service members) who are admitted to AU for an eligible graduate degree program.	Learn where to apply here.	To waive the admissions application fee, use the following waiver code when prompted by the application: Maryland_Joins_Forces
Graduate	McNair Scholars	Varies	The Baker School of Education offers McNair Scholars tuition scholarships towards our graduate degrees.		Applicants will have 1 letter of recommendation* and the application fee waived. *EdD students must submit 3 letters of recommendation. Additional partnership tuition scholarships may not be combined.
Graduate	Dr. Charlotte Wilderson Endowed Fund	Varies	The endowed scholarship is in support of graduate students and undergraduate students in their junior and senior years.
Graduate	Yellow Ribbon Program	Varies	Visit the Veteran Student Services for more information about American University's participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program and other Veteran benefits.	Apply through the Veteran Student Services.
Graduate	COLFUTURO's Loan-Scholarship Program	Up to $50,000	COLFUTURO supports Colombian professionals dreaming of transforming their future by pursuing a master’s or a doctoral degree in any field of study, or a medical speciality, at the world’s most prestigious universities. Full-time graduate students selected by COLFUTURO for this program will qualify for shared financing under this agreement. AU will provide credit articulations and scholarships, and COLFUTURO will cover the remaining tuition, living allowance, and other related costs per its Loan-Scholarship Program. Students are responsible for any additional expenses not included in the agreement.	Learn more.	For combined degree programs (dual master’s degrees, bachelor’s/master’s degrees), COLFUTURO funding applies only to the master’s component at AU, not to undergraduate studies or credits earned in Colombia. Additional partnership tuition scholarship may not be combined.
Graduate	Educational Testing Service Presidential Scholarships for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Students	Up to the cost of tuition.	Recognizes 8 excelling rising juniors or seniors at HBCUs – 4 from private HBCUs and 4 from public HBCUs. Those selected will receive a full tuition-only need/merit scholarships for the academic school year.	Learn more.
Graduate	Educational Testing Service-Trenton Central High School (TCHS) Scholarship Program	$10,000	Award for graduating seniors who can demonstrate high levels of academic achievement, strong community engagement, and leadership in high school. Those seniors from TCHS will receive financial aid for a two- or four-year accredited, not-for-profit postsecondary institution.	Learn more.	The award is $10,000 in two payments for those attending a four-year school.
Graduate	Educational Testing Service Cares Scholarships	Up to $10,000	Awarded to public high school graduating seniors facing great challenges and still intending to enroll full-time in a postsecondary educational institution this fall or pursuing a degree.	Learn more.
Graduate	Educational Testing Service Lenora M. Green Scholarship	$20,000	Named after the late Lenora M. Green, former executive director of CAAP, the scholarship is for a four-year US college student with a GPA of 3.5 or higher who demonstrates leadership and commitment to community service and civic engagement.	Learn more.
Graduate	Educational Testing Service Dr. Lillian M. Lowery Scholarship	$15,000	Honoring of the late Dr. Lillian M. Lowery, former VP of student and teacher assessments at ETS – will go to a master’s student enrolled in a US graduate program in education.	Learn more.
Graduate	Educational Testing Service Robert (Bob) Moses Scholarship	Varies	Named after the late Bob Moses, civil rights leader and founder of national mathematics literacy program – The Algebra Project – is meant for a master’s or doctoral student at a US university. It is intended to go to a student from an underrepresented group pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in mathematics education or STEM.	Learn more.
Graduate	Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Alumni Scholarship	Varies	Students who complete FAMU's Graduate Feeder Program should contact Andrew Toczydlowski and let him know you which program you are interested in at the Baker School.	Learn more.
Graduate	Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant	Up to $4,000 per year	Requires you to agree to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant, and if you don't complete the service obligation, the TEACH Grant will be converted to a loan that you must repay, with interest.	Apply here.	Requires you to agree to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant, and if you don't complete the service obligation, the TEACH Grant will be converted to a loan that you must repay, with interest.
Undergraduate	Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant	Up to $4,000 per year	Requires you to agree to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant, and if you don't complete the service obligation, the TEACH Grant will be converted to a loan that you must repay, with interest.	Apply here.	Requires you to agree to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant, and if you don't complete the service obligation, the TEACH Grant will be converted to a loan that you must repay, with interest.