Students and student-authorized parents may
make e-check payments through the web portal at my.american.edu.
For more information, call Student Accounts at 202-885-3588.
Personal check payments may be mailed to:
American University
Student Accounts
P.O. Box 17539
Baltimore, MD 21297-1539
Please write student’s AU ID
number on your check payment.
Other correspondence should be sent to:
American University
Student Accounts
Asbury 300
4400 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016-8073
Payments may also be made in person at Student Accounts, Asbury 300, Monday through Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Late Payment and Financial
Restrictions
A finance charge may be assessed against a student's account
for failure to meet the initial payment due date. The university
will use a rate of 1 percent per month to compute the finance
charge. The university figures the finance charge on the student's
account by applying the 1 percent per month to the adjusted
balance of the student's account.
In addition, failure to make payment when due will result in
a financial "restriction" being placed on the student's
account. The financial restriction will result in a "hold"
being placed on the student's academic records, including transcript
and diploma, and may also result in denial of advance registration
and use of the payment plan or other credit privileges.
If a student's courses are dropped due to nonpayment, a financial
restriction will be placed on his or her account. Restrictions
may be removed following the reinstatement of all courses originally
dropped. To reinstate courses, the student must make arrangements
with the Collections Office and pay the account in full (including
a $100 reinstatement fee and all associated finance charges).
The university reserves the right to delay clearance until a
personal check or e-check clears a financial institution.
A student who has once had a financial restriction placed against
his or her account may be denied future advance registration
and payment plan privileges even though the student has been
reinstated upon payment of the reinstatement fee. Repeated failure
to make payments when due may result in severance of the student's
relationship with the university.
Students who incur financial obligations in the parking and
traffic office, library, health center, or athletic department
may be subject to late payment fees and financial restriction
procedures.
Students who fail to pay tuition or fees will be responsible
for all costs of collection, including attorney's fees in the
amount of 15 percent of the balance due.
Employer or Agency Tuition Assistance
A student requesting employer or agency billing arrangements
must furnish Student Accounts with a valid contract or purchase
order before the first day of classes.
A contract or purchase order must contain the following information:
(1) student name and ID number, (2) term of attendance, (3)
specific costs (and dollar amounts) to be paid
by the sponsor (tuition, books, supplies, fees), (4) sponsor's
billing address, and (5) contract or purchase order number or
accounting appropriation, if applicable. Documentation submitted
in lieu of a valid purchase order will not relieve a student
of financial responsibility.
In case of partial assistance, the student is required to pay
the balance of his or her tuition costs at the time of registration
in order to be considered registered. A student portion which
qualifies for one of the university payment plans is to be paid
according to that plan. Failure to comply will result in the
assessment of a 1 percent per month finance charge. (See Late
Payment and Financial Restrictions, above.)
A student entitled to Campus Store credit may obtain a book
charge form from Student Accounts. Purchases are permitted through
the end of the Add/Drop period.
Failure to submit vouchers in a timely manner may result in
the assessment of late fees. A student is responsible for payment
of any billed amounts which have been disallowed by his or her
sponsor.
Employee Tuition Benefits
Only full-time permanent faculty or staff employees of American
University are eligible for tuition benefits. There is a nonrefundable
$50 registration fee each semester, in addition to any special
course fees, and mandatory sport, technology, and activity fees.
Late registration fees are not applicable to faculty and staff
using employee tuition benefits. The Tuition Remission Application
is available online at my.american.edu. For more information,
contact Human Resources at 202-885-2591.
Refunds and cancellations of charges
Course Drops
Students who reduce their course load by dropping courses during
the refund period of the semester will have the course tuition
cancellation calculated as of the date of the course drop. The
student’s account must show a credit balance before a refund
will be processed.
MBA modules and other courses on nonstandard schedules have
different refund policies, percentages, and dates. In addition,
tuition and fee refund policies and deadlines for study abroad
programs may differ by program and location. Students should
check with the appropriate office for specific guidelines.
Discontinuing attendance in class or notifying an instructor
does not constitute an official course drop.
Withdrawal
Students who completely withdraw from the university must submit
the appropriate forms to the Office of the Registrar. The amount
of tuition to be canceled will be calculated as of the date
which the withdrawal forms are received in the Office of the
Registrar and in accordance with the tuition cancellation schedule,
below. If the withdrawal results in a refund, the request for
refund should be made in Student Accounts. The student’s account
must show a credit balance before a refund will be processed.
Discontinuing attendance in classes or notifying instructors
does not constitute an official withdrawal. Students who do
not officially withdraw during the cancellation period by submitting
the appropriate forms to the Office of the Registrar will be
responsible for payment of the full amount of the applicable
tuition and fees.
Tuition Cancellation Schedule
The cancellation percentage is
based on the date of the course drop:
| 7-week Session (A): | |
| drop through May 16 | 100% |
| drop through May 23 | 50% |
| First 3-week Session (D): | |
| drop through May 21 | 100% |
| drop through May 28 | 50% |
| First 6-week Sessions (B & C): | |
| drop through May 23 | 100% |
| drop through May 30 | 50% |
| Second 3-week Session (E): | |
| drop through June 11 | 100% |
| drop through June 18 | 50% |
| Second 6-week Sessions (F & H): | |
| drop through July 7 | 100% |
| drop through July 11 | 50% |
Federal (Title IV) Financial
Aid Recipients
Return of Title IV Funds Policy
The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute
to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students
who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence
prior to completing 60 percent of a payment period or term.
The federal Title IV financial aid programs must be recalculated
in these situations.
If a student leaves the institution prior to completing 60 percent
of a payment period or term, the Financial Aid Office recalculates
eligibility for Title IV funds. Recalculation is based on the
percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return
of Title IV funds formula:
Percentage of payment period or term completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by total days in the payment period or term.(Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.
Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:
Aid to be returned = (100 percent of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.
If a student earned less aid than was disbursed,
the institution would be required to return a portion of the
funds and the student would be required to return a portion
of the funds. When Title IV funds are returned, the student
borrower may owe a debit balance to the institution.
If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him or her,
the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement
which must be paid within 120 days of the student's withdrawal.
The institution must return the amount of Title IV funds for
which it is responsible no later than 30 days after the date
of the determination of the date of the student’s withdrawal.
Refunds are allocated in the following order:
- Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
- Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans (other than PLUS loans)
- Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
- Federal Perkins Loans
- Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
- Direct PLUS Loans
- Federal Pell Grants for which a return of funds is required
- Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a return of funds is required
- Other assistance under Title IV for which
a return of funds is required (e.g., LEAP)
