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First-Year Merit Scholarships for International Students

American University's merit scholarships for international students are partial, not full, awards. They are highly competitive and based on a combination of outstanding academic achievement, excellent communication skills in English, leadership, volunteerism, and community service. No need-based financial aid is available to international students (non-U.S. citizens). If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, please visit our financial aid website for more information on need-based financial aid opportunities.

No separate application form or process is needed to be considered for AU's partial merit scholarships.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, scholarships ranged from U.S.$8,000 to U.S.$20,000 per academic year. They are renewable for all four years of study based on successful continued academic performance.

Important for first-year applicants who wish to be considered for AU's partial scholarships:

  1. Apply for the fall (August) semester, not spring. Fall application deadline is January 15.
  2. AU merit awards are offered only at the time of admission. There are no further opportunities for AU partial scholarships fromt the Office of Admissions once you have begun your studies.
  3. No increases in scholarship amounts are available from year to year. The initial amount of your AU merit award remains constant for all four years of study.
  4. Your bank letter (not a bank statement) must demonstrate that you have at least U.S.$78,296 available for your first year of study, even if you hope to qualify and receive one of AU's competitive merit scholarships. Plan to have similar funding available for each additional year of undergraduate study (up to four years total). All financial documents must be dated within the past three months to be considered valid and must be submitted by the application deadline date.

Other Sources of Financial Assistance

You may wish to contact the following institutions to seek information on additional sources of financial assistance:

AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship (AU EGLS)

The AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship promotes educational access and opportunity while enhancing international diversity. Bringing together the best of AU—academic excellence, leadership development, and global engagement—the AU Emerging Global Leader achieves, inspires, and serves with vision. The AU EGL is dedicated to positive civic and social change, and will return home to improve under-resourced, underserved communities in his/her home country.

The AU EGL scholarship covers all billable AU expenses (full tuition, room and board) for one international student who will need a visa (preferably an F-1 or J-1 student visa) to study in the United States. The scholarship does not cover non-billable expenses such as mandatory health insurance, books, airline tickets and miscellaneous expenses (approximately U.S.$4,000 per year).

The AU EGL scholarship is most competitive. It is renewable for a total of four years of undergraduate study, based on continued satisfactory academic performance. U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents or dual citizens of the U.S. and another country are not eligible to apply. Further information for the fall 2024 application process will be available after September 1, 2023 on our AU EGLS website.