Elevate

Transforming the Student Experience

Every day, we prepare changemakers to shape our changing world. AU promotes student thriving in a diverse, inclusive environment that supports innovative minds and the purposes they courageously pursue. Change Can’t Wait creates a more equitable, affordable, and empowering AU education.

$140 MILLION RAISED

$140,000,000
Students Outdoors Fall
  • Remove Economic Hurdles for More Students

    We are committed to attracting, retaining, and supporting the brightest, most talented students, no matter their circumstances. With increased financial aid and scholarships, and greater access to experiential learning, Change Can’t Wait helps make AU a reality for passionate students with wide-ranging experiences and backgrounds.

    How We Do It

    01
    Eliminate debt for outstanding students with the highest need through financial aid and scholarships
    02
    Provide equitable access to internships and experiential learning through initiatives that mitigate cost barriers
    03
    Increase affordability and access for middle-income students
    04
    Invest in first-generation transfer students by increasing current scholarship offerings
  • Advance A More Inclusive World

    Through partnerships, mentoring and career planning, advanced scholarship opportunities, and engaging on-campus initiatives, Change Can’t Wait helps AU prioritize a sense of belonging and inclusivity that our graduates can carry forward throughout their lives.

    How We Do It

    01
    Partner with historically black colleges and universities to establish scholarships for HBCU graduates and build a diverse talent pipeline
    02
    Endow distinctive merit programs, including the Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars, which provides full tuition, mandatory fees, books, transportation, and room and board
    03
    Create robust mentorship and career planning experiences enhanced by technology that makes it easy for alumni to volunteer and facilitate meaningful connections
    04
    Fund solutions-oriented and affinity-based living-learning communities where students live together to explore a common interest or academic pursuit
  • Create an Environment for Student Thriving

    We are proud to be a home for students who want to make a difference, and we provide an environment that helps them turn ambitions into actions. Change Can’t Wait leverages existing resources and introduces new projects to aid personal and professional development for all Eagles.

    How We Do It

    01
    Expand mental health and wellness resources through dedicated staff, spaces, and services
    02
    Re-imagine student spaces to promote shared learning experiences
    03
    Sustain distinctive student leadership opportunities, such as the Kennedy Political Union—recognized as one of the country’s premier college speaker bureaus—and The Blackprint, a publication that amplifies the voices of students of color
    04
    Establish curricular bridges to the AU Museum at the Katzen Art Center, the District’s only academic public-facing museum