Tuition & Fees for online graduate programs

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

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

Scholarships

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.

Financial Aid

Financial aid may be available to students on an individual basis. Once financial aid eligibility is finalized, it is the responsibility of the student to complete all necessary disbursement requirements (such as Master Promissory Notes and loan counseling) to ensure funds are sent to American University to be credited toward a tuition balance. Please note that all billing of tuition is handled by the main campus Student Accounts and University Receivables (referred to as the Cashier’s Office). All financial aid disburses directly to the Cashier’s Office to be credited toward any outstanding tuition balance that is owed by the student. All students are responsible for completing financial aid applications and disbursement requirements in a timely fashion to ensure that their funds are available to pay tuition by published due dates. For more information, contact finaidonline@american.edu.

Military Benefits

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