Getting an American University Scholarship—What You Need To Know

iEditorial Note: These blog posts represent the opinion of DoNotPay’s Writers, but each person’s situation and circumstances vary greatly. As a result, you should make sure to do your own independent research. Because everyone is unique, our self-help tools are never guaranteed to help with any specific situation. DoNotPay is not a law firm and is not licensed to practice law. DoNotPay provides a platform for legal information and self-help.

Rock, Flag, and Financial Aid—American University Scholarship

When they named it the Land of Opportunity, few thought the expression meant colleges and high schools would take the chance to impose sky-high tuition fees on their students.

One such college is the American University, Washington, D.C. (AU). The cost of attendance for an undergraduate student at the AU is $68,592, excluding application fees, while graduate students pay $1,812 per credit hour.

The majority of students can’t afford such expenses. Luckily, around 80% of incoming AU students receive some form of financial aid—either loans or scholarships and grants.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to obtain an American University scholarship by explaining:

  1. What types of aid you can look forward to
  2. Where you can find scholarship programs
  3. How to apply for them
  4. How DoNotPay can get you the best awards in no time

What Types of American University Scholarships Exist?

As is the case with most scholarship programs, an American University scholarship is based on:

  1. Merit
  2. Need

The American University Merit Scholarships

The American University merit scholarships go to students who demonstrate an adequate level of academic excellence and showcase a portfolio or resume of extracurricular activities, such as community service, volunteer work, and similar.

Scholarship commissions judge academic excellence by taking a variety of factors into account, including:

The American University Need-Based Scholarships

Need-based awards are aimed at students who can’t fulfill the requirements based on merit, so they have to look elsewhere to receive financial aid. Students have to prove they are in financial need by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form or the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile.

This way, they can get an estimate of their Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which shows their and their families’ yearly income. If it is below a certain limit (determined by individual programs), they are eligible to apply.

How Are the AU Scholarships Categorized by Source?

The American University scholarships are divided into three major types based on the source that offers them:

  1. Federal and state grants
  2. AU grants and scholarships
  3. Outside scholarships

Federal and State Grants

Federal and state grants offer financial aid to students in need. The prerequisite for getting a federal grant is a filled-out FAFSA form. Grants range between $602 and $5,730.

Some of these programs are nonrepayable grants, while others act as loans that need to be repaid with interest. The most popular federal awards include:

  • Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
  • The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Federal Pell Grant

AU Grants and Scholarships

AU awards come directly from the University. They can be either need- or merit-based, depending on the program and award amount, which ranges from as low as $100 (Endowed Awards) to as high as a full-ride scholarship (Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program).

The American University splits them into four categories, as shown in the following table:

Scholarship CategoryScholarship Names
The American University grants
  • Supplemental AU Grant
Freshman scholarships
  • AU Presidential Scholarship
  • American University District Scholars Award
  • United Methodist Scholarship for Freshmen
  • AU Deans’ Scholarship
  • AU Leadership Scholarship
  • American University National Merit Scholarships
  • Athletic Scholarships
  • Tuition Exchange Scholarships
  • Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program (FDDSP)
Transfer student scholarships
  • Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
  • Southern Management Scholarship
  • United Methodist Scholarship for Transfer Students
Graduate scholarships
  • United Methodist Graduate Scholarship
  • Hart A. Massey Fellowship
  • Endowed Awards

Outside Scholarships

Outside programs come from private funds, donors, and companies. There are many of them, but there’s no centralized website that lists them all—aside from DoNotPay.

They can be for students with merit or need—sometimes both. Aside from being enrolled in the AU (or being a high school senior interested in the AU), there are other requirements you need to meet. These criteria vary from one award to another as they focus on different groups of students, including:

Where To Find an American University Scholarship

The AU website lists the available grants and scholarships but with incomplete information. If you’re looking for outside scholarships, you’ll probably have trouble finding them. Researching the American University scholarships is a time-consuming task, and it could take you weeks or months to find proper information.

If you don’t know where to begin or how to continue with your search, you can find help here:

You can use DoNotPay to skip the research process and get all the information you need within five minutes. Our app will take your student profile into account and create a personalized list of all scholarships you’re eligible for once you .

The Application Process for an American University Scholarship

The application process is different for each American University scholarship, so you will need to research the program that interests you before you start applying. To make sure you’re prepared, check if:

  • You meet all criteria
  • The application window is still open
  • You have all the necessary documents—transcripts, personal statement, application form, cover letter, etc.

Discover and Apply for the American University Scholarships Using DoNotPay

Don’t want to waste weeks of your time on websites that don’t provide any meaningful info? You don’t have to—use DoNotPay! Our app will list all scholarships you’re eligible for in minutes!

All you need to do is the following:

  1. via any browser
  2. Search for the Apply for Scholarships feature
  3. Answer a few questions

With the info you give us, our app will generate a custom list of all scholarships you can apply for. If there are no-essay scholarships on the list, you can sign up for them automatically within the app. Select the ones that interest you, and we will complete the application process on your behalf.

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