Tuition will be calculated based on the student's credit hours for each semester. Bills are generated upon class registration. Bills are due by the first day of the semester. Finance (interest) charges will apply to bills that are overdue. New tuition rates, catalog policies, and other "academic year" changes take effect with the start of each Fall semester. Please contact the Office of Student Accounts at sa@american.edu with any questions regarding your bill.

Tuition payments are made online via the myAU Portal. American University accepts Electronic Check and Credit Card (Visa, American Express, Master Card, or Discover Card only) payments. If you make your payment with a credit card, a non-refundable service fee will be added to the bill. The service fee is currently 2.80% of the total charge and is subject to change.

Tuition Rates 

Cost per credit hour (AY 2024-2025) 

Tuition is $2238 per credit hour for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025 semesters."

Refunds for drops and withdrawals are calculated on a prorated basis. Academic weeks begin Monday and end Sunday. The date of drop or withdrawal is determined by when the request, in writing, is received by the Program Office.

100% credit

Once registration closes until the end of the second week of classes

50% credit

Third week of classes

25% credit

Fourth week of classes

0% credit

Fifth week of classes

Students who receive a scholarship at the time of their admission will be notified via their acceptance letter. These are typically allotted on a per-credit basis, and therefore will not be applied to student accounts until registration is finalized (typically two weeks prior to the start of any semester). Please note, if you make any changes to your schedule during the add/drop period, it may change your scholarship amount. Allotments will be reconciled at the end of the full drop period (after week four of each term). If you have questions about your scholarship, please contact Claudia Blount, Assistant Director of Admissions and Marketing, at cblount@american.edu.

Online graduate students enrolled at least half time in an online Master's program may be eligible for federal student loans. These loans are offered by the U.S. federal government and administered through American University’s Office of Financial Aid after a student submits their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To receive federal loan funds, you must complete all necessary requirements, including signing a Master Promissory Note and completing loan counseling. Once these requirements are met, the funds will be sent directly to American University to be applied towards your tuition balance.
 
Please note that all billing of tuition is handled by the Office of Student Accounts. Financial aid disbursements are applied directly to outstanding tuition balances. It is your responsibility to complete your financial aid applications and disbursement requirements on time to avoid late payment fees.
 
All eligible and interested students should fill out the FAFSA form upon application to SIS to begin the FAFSA process; there is no need to wait until you have an admission decision from SIS. The FAFSA code is 001434.
 
For more information or to begin the financial aid process, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

 

Veterans and military students may be eligible for additional benefits. For more information, contact Alicia Marsh at veterans@american.edu.