Navigating Tuition Remission Policies at American University

American University (AU) provides various financial aid opportunities to students, considering factors such as financial need, academic achievements, and available funds. The university also offers tuition remission benefits to eligible employees and their families. This article delves into the tuition remission policies and other financial aid programs available at American University.

Financial Aid at American University

American University awards financial aid to students based on a combination of demonstrated financial need, academic achievement, and the availability of funds. The AU Office of Admissions conducts evaluations for merit awards and extends them to all applicants who submit their admissions application by the established priority deadlines. Once a student is admitted, the Financial Aid Office assesses the student’s need and develops a financial aid award that includes funds from various programs.

Components of Financial Aid Awards

A student's financial aid award may include a combination of:

American University scholarships
Grants
Federal grants
Federally subsidized or unsubsidized loans
Student employment

For federal need-based aid consideration, students must file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) with the federal processor. Merit-based scholarship recipients may have different standards than those listed above.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

An audit of each student’s academic progress is conducted annually in June. All academic questions and appeals must be directed to the student’s respective academic department(s). Students who fail to maintain the minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress standards may re-establish eligibility for financial aid funds by changing a grade or reporting a missing grade. Students not meeting the SAP requirements will be notified in writing of the loss of aid eligibility.

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Appeals for Reinstatement of Financial Aid

Students with extenuating circumstances may submit a written appeal to the Financial Aid Office to request a reinstatement of financial aid. Appeals are considered on a case-by-case basis. The appeal should include a course of action or change in situation that will allow them to make satisfactory progress at the next evaluation. Supporting documentation should be included to prove the extenuating circumstances. For example, if the extenuating circumstances were an illness, then the student would attach a note from a medical provider confirming the illness took place, that treatment was/is under way, and that the student is now able to return successfully to school.

Return of Title IV Funds

The American University refund policy does not apply to first-time American University students. If a student leaves the institution prior to completing 60 percent of a payment period or term, the Financial Aid Office must recalculate eligibility for Title IV funds.

The percentage of the payment period or term completed is calculated as follows:

Percentage of payment period or term completed = (the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date) / (the total days in 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. If a student earned more aid than was disbursed, the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement, which must be paid within 120 days of the student’s withdrawal.

Merit-Based Scholarships

The Office of Admissions makes all merit-based scholarship decisions and notifies students at the time of admission to AU. Merit awards range from $3,000 to full tuition per year. The university has a limited number of scholarships that are funded annually through endowments by donors.

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Grants

American University offers grants to students demonstrating exceptional financial need. Many states administer grant programs which residents may apply for and receive while attending American University.

Federal Loan Programs

Direct Loans

These loans are guaranteed by the federal government. There are two types of Direct Loans:

Subsidized Federal Loans: For eligible students who have demonstrated financial need. No interest is charged on Subsidized Federal Loans while the student is enrolled at least half-time in a degree-seeking program.
Unsubsidized Federal Loans: For students who do not have demonstrated need. Unsubsidized Federal Loans are interest-bearing.

Repayment for both begins six months after graduation or when the student drops below halftime enrollment status in any semester.

Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

This federal loan program is available to the parents of dependent undergraduate students to assist them in meeting educational expenses.

Federal Work-Study Program

This program for students with financial need provides the opportunity to work part-time and use earnings toward educational expenses.

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American University Employee Benefits

American University provides a comprehensive benefits package to its employees, including tuition benefits, retirement plans, and leave policies.

Tuition Benefits for Employees and Their Families

American University participates in the Tuition Exchange Program, a competitive merit-based program available to faculty and staff members. Full-time faculty and staff members and their spouses or domestic partners are eligible for tuition benefits.

Retirement Plan: After a year at AU, eligible part-time and full-time faculty and staff receive immediate vesting.
Tuition Benefits for Dependents: 4 years college tuition for your child at AU, Wesley Seminary or in Tuition Exchange scholarship network after working for the university for 2 years.
Employee Education: Unlimited undergrad and grad education - 8 credits per semester up to 20 credits per year, for as many years as you wish, after working for the university for 4 months.

Other Employee Benefits

Paid Holidays: In addition to 10 paid holidays, AU provides time off to vote in a presidential election or to attend an event on Inauguration Day.
Parental Leave: Full-time staff and faculty with at least one year of continuous service are eligible to receive paid Parental Leave for bonding with a newborn infant or child placed in a household through adoption or foster care.
Medical Benefits: Eligible full- and part-time staff get 16 weeks for their own medical care and 16 weeks for family care. Medical benefits include acupuncture and chiropractic care.
Short Term Medical Leave (STML): Full-time staff and library faculty with six or more months of service are eligible for Short Term Medical Leave (STML).

Qualified Tuition Reduction (IRC Section 117(d))

The Qualified Tuition Reduction, IRC Section 117 (d) allows nonprofit universities to give their employees, spouses, or dependents tuition reductions that are excluded from taxable income. Under Section 117 (d), neither the institution as an employer nor the employee pays federal income tax on the amount paid by the institution for tuition expenses. This lowers the federal tax liability of the employee and, potentially, the employer. Conservative estimates suggest more than 27,000 undergraduate students received an employee/employee family tuition reduction.

The majority of employees benefitting from the provision are low- and middle-income. Under the law, if an institution chooses to offer this benefit, then all employees must be able to receive it. Graduate student research and teaching assistants rely heavily on Section 117 (d) to make their graduate educations possible. According to data from the Department of Education, 60 percent of tuition reductions went to graduate students in STEM programs.

Graduate Assistantships in the School of Communication

The School of Communication (SOC) offers various Graduate Assistant (GA) positions, providing students with opportunities to gain experience and financial support. These assistantships involve working with faculty and staff on specific projects and tasks.

Available Graduate Assistantships

SOC Inclusion Officer Assistantship: Assisting the Inclusion Officer with diversity and inclusion projects, including compiling diversity-related events, conducting interviews, assisting with events, analyzing data, and developing communications.
Strategic Communication and Outreach Assistantship: Working as part of a team to promote the school to external and internal audiences, raising awareness of the school, its students, faculty, degree programs, and school-wide initiatives.
WebDAM System Assistantship: Managing SOC's digital assets, ensuring accurate tagging of assets, and writing news-style captions.
SOC Graduate Ambassador: Serving as a customer-focused representative in the Office of Graduate Academic Services.
Foreign Correspondence Assistantship: Working with Professor Bill Gentile on projects related to his Foreign Correspondence class, the FREELANCERS documentary series, and AU’s membership in the Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium.
Center for Environmental Filmmaking Assistantship: Working with Prof. Maggie Burnette Stogner on projects related to creating films and innovative media on issues of wildlife, sustainability, environmental justice, biodiversity, and environmental science.
Capital Punishment Documentary Assistantship: Assisting with the promotion, distribution, and marketing of a documentary dedicated to stimulating thought and discussion about capital punishment.
Research Assistantships with Faculty: Performing research on topics such as propaganda, the Peace Corps, women in political communication, social media, beverage alcohol, ethics, contemporary media coverage and politics, and digital media in politics.
Investigative Reporting Assistantship: Conducting research and reporting for long-term investigative projects.
Political Communication Assistantship: Assisting with planning events, building the MA Political Communication network, and identifying development opportunities.
Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI) Assistantship: Supporting scholarly and public research, producing original editorial articles for CMSI's Media That Matters blog, and supporting CMSI's strategic communication efforts.
Livestreaming Platforms Research Assistantship: Conducting observational field studies, interviews, analysis, and background research on livestreaming platforms.
Lightweight Game Engines Assistantship: Reviewing existing lightweight game engines, suggesting implementation strategies, demonstrating basic techniques, and comparing and contrasting existing tools and packages.
VR/AR Web-Based Delivery Assistantship: Researching the current state-of-the-art in lightweight, web-based delivery of VR/AR, creating small demos, and comparing and contrasting workflows and content pipelines.

General Expectations for Graduate Assistants

Enthusiastic, professional, productive, diligent, responsive, creative, efficient, organized, and good-natured.

Compensation for Graduate Assistants

The salary for the 2024-2025 academic year is $5,550, split between Fall and Spring semesters.

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