Account Stops
What is a Stop?
A Stop is a restriction on a student's account that prevents the student from registering, adding additional courses, graduating, taking a leave of absence, or making several other kinds of changes. Stops are set set by an office at American University, usually because of a problem with the student's account or record or because of a delinquency (overdue payment, library fines, etc.) A stop can be placed on a student's account at any time and can only be removed by the office placing the stop on the account.
Stops do not appear on your transcript or elsewhere in your academic record.
How will I know if I have a Stop?
The most obvious way is by logging into myau.american.edu. A student with a stop on his/her account will have a notation on the main screen that alerts the student of the Stop and provides the contact number for the appropriate office. Similarly, if your advisor looks at your record on my.american.edu, he/she will see:
"This student has a STOP that will prevent registration."
or
"Student must see advisor before making (additional) changes."
Similarly, you will find that if you attempt to register for courses during an open registration period, you cannot add any courses.
How can I resolve a Stop?
If you are not sure why you have a stop on your account or you're not sure what your stop means, contact your academic advisor. He/she will be able to let you know which office(s) have placed Stop(s) on your account. You can then follow up with the appropriate office(s) to resolve your stop(s). Once the Stop has been removed, you'll be able to register normally.
What kinds of Stops are there?
Several American University offices place can place a stop on a student's account. Below are some of the more common examples, though there are several other kinds of stops:
| Type | Office | Contact Phone** | Contact E-mail/Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Account Balance Past Due* |
Student Accounts
|
202-885-3567 or 3569
|
|
| Advising |
SIS Academic Advising
|
202-885-1690
|
|
| Billing Address |
AU Central
|
202-885-8000
|
aucentral@american.edu |
| Immunization |
202-885-3384
|
Fax: 202-885-8350
|
|
| International Student Advising |
International Student & Scholar Services
|
202-885-3550
|
iss@american.edu or contact your international student advisor directly
|
| Library |
University Library
|
202-885-3221
|
|
| In-Session Address |
AU Central |
202-885-8000 | aucentral@american.edu |
*If an Account Balance stop is not resolved quickly, it can result in your registration being canceled, with you being dropped from all courses and financially dismissed from the University. In that case you can have your courses reinstated once your tuition is paid though you will be charged a reinstatement fee. You can get more information about registration cancellation from the Office of Student Accounts website.
** If calling from an on-campus location, you just need to dial the 4 digit extension.
Last updated 22 May 2012
