Fee Explanations

All students enrolled at American University are charged certain mandatory student fees each semester. Explanation of fees can be found below the fee tables, or by clicking on the name of the individual fees.

A vast majority of universities, including American University, have a tuition and mandatory fee policy. With this type of policy, mandatory fees are assessed to all or groups of students in order to help defray associated costs, rather than be based on the actual usage of an individual student.

Technology Fee - This mandatory fee is charged to all registered students. The fee is assessed to help pay a small portion of the university’s overall technology costs. It helps to fund technology priorities, ranging from classroom instruction, faculty research, expanded computer labs, student portals, wireless connectivity, on-line registrations, faster internet connectivity, server upgrades, computer security, and administrative systems. Whether a student lives on-campus, off-campus or they are abroad, the technology services are available to them.

Sports Center Fee – Our sports center fee is charged to all registered students, and is used to help pay for building maintenance and service costs associated with the sports center complex. The fee is not a membership fee for use the fitness center. Any registered student can use the entire sports center complex facilities, including the fitness center.

Activity Fees (Undergraduate, Graduate, or WCL) - The University Board of Trustees approves and encourages strong and viable student-sponsored programs that contribute significantly to the intellectual and social development of the student body, serve the University academic goals, encourage student participation and leadership, and enhance the general campus environment. To finance these student run organizations and programs (over 160), the Board directs the assessment of a mandatory non-refundable student activity/program fee. Depending on your student status, those fees will be labeled on your student account statement as Undergraduate Activity Fee, Graduate Activity Fee, or WCL General Fee.

Health Insurance – Health insurance is mandatory for all full-time degree, resident, and international students, unless the student is covered under another comparable health insurance plan. The fee is assessed automatically, unless it is waived prior to the deadline (usually around July 7). Waivers must be completed on-line at the student’s my.american.edu portal (click on Health and Wellness, Student Health Insurance Plan, and then Waiver). If the fee has already been assessed, the related insurance charge will be removed within two business days of the waiver submission. Insurance waivers have to be done each academic year. New incoming students that begin with a spring semester are charged at the time of registration. Please note that no waivers are accepted after August 31.

SIS Master’s Program Fee - The fee is used to cover expenses associated with professional program enhancements associated with the School of International Services. The fee is charged to all SIS graduate students and joint CAS/SIS program students. The fee applies to all SIS M.A. programs, the MIS program and the M.S. program.

Residential Hall Association Fee (RHA) - It is RHA’s top priority to make life more fun and enjoyable for resident students at AU. Through a combination of programming and advocating for the students on Housing and Dining issues they work to improve the quality of on-campus life. The RHA fee is charged to all students that are in AU housing, including Park Bethesda. RHA uses the proceeds from this fee to fund their various activities, including but not limited to welcome kits, events and meetings throughout the academic year.