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Financing Your Education

The School of Public Affairs (SPA) understands that financing your graduate education can prove to be a challenge, which is why we recommend that admitted students explore and lever multiple sources of financial support. Please consider the overview of some of these sources in the table below and expect SPA to offer additional information to support you.

All admitted students are encouraged to consult the Admitted Graduate Student Resources webpage (right navigation panel) that details relevant, upcoming initiatives to learn more, consider e-invitations to topical, virtual sessions related to financing, and, of course, to do direct outreach with personalized questions to spagrad@american.edu.

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Tuition, Fees, Living Expenses
Federal, Grad Plus Loans
SPA Merit Awards

To begin, it is important to consult ý’sCost of Attendance(COA)for 2024-2025.This important resource detailsannualizeddirect costs (tuition and student fees) and indirect costs (estimates for living expenses).Please be mindful that SPA’s master’s degrees, most often, require two years to complete.

The 2024-2025 COA tabledetails direct and indirect costs in the first column for students consideringfull-time enrollment (9 credit hours)* and,the second column details direct and indirect costs forhalf-time enrollment (6 credit hours).

*All international students (F-1/J-1 visa holders) will be required to maintain full-time enrollment.

A key advantage of pursuing an SPA master’s degree is the flexibility offered to all domestic SPA students to flex their enrollments each semester so they can take full advantage of the articulation between classroom learning (classes only meet one day a week in the evenings) and application in the workplace in light of the incredibly robust job market in the greater Washington, D.C. region.This advantage results in exceptional professional outcomes for every SPA master’s degree as our students transform into leaders who make meaningful contributions in all sectors of employment.

SPA’s valued, admittedinternational students should also proactively consult theSchool of Public Affairs Graduate Programs Cost Guide. This Guide details the necessary identification and financial documentationrequired after they pay the nonrefundableenrollment deposit to secure an I-20 from ý in advance of scheduling and, ideally, securing a visa to join the SPA graduate student community.Please know that the SPA graduate admissions team will support you post-admission through the immigration process. Additional information is available by consultingý’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

SPA realizes that students do not want to have to consider taking out loans of any kind or amount. This said, for domestic students, this is an important source of funding to consider in financing their graduate degree.

All domestic, prospective graduate students (only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for Federal aid) are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) so they may learn of their Federal loan eligibility. ý's FAFSA code is 001434. Please be mindful that Federal loans may be leveraged to help pay for outstanding tuition and student fees (direct costs) and, upon their payment in full, the loan monies may be refundedto help with living expenses (indirect costs).

Following your FAFSA submission (please allow 7-10 days for the submission to be transmitted), the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) at ý will process and notify you of your Federal loan eligibility via email. Most often, a graduate student will qualify for close to $20,500 in Federal loans for their first year of graduate study. Admitted SPA graduate students may contact OFA at financialaid@american.edu or 202.885.6500 with any questions about Federal loan eligibility and the disbursement as well as refund process.

Grad Plus loans are credit-based and are often used to cover any balance of tuition and student fees and/or to help with living expensesafter a student applies all other sources of funding (i.e., Federal unsubsidized loans, merit aid awards) to the cost of attendance (tuition, student fees, and living expenses). Apply by completing the Graduate Plus Loan Application available at . SPA applicants should contact OFA at financialaid@american.edu or 202.885.6500 with any questions about applying for a Grad Plus loan.

The SPA merit aid allocation process is initiated each semester (Spring or Fall) following the priority deadline (November 1 or February 15). Award notifications are separate and distinct from admissions decisions. An admitted student’s application file is used as the basis for consideration. There is no separate application required to be considered for all types of SPA merit awards (see descriptions below). Admitted students—domestic and international-- are compared/contrasted within the current entry term’s (Spring or Fall) admitted student pool by degree to determine consistent and equitable award levels.

Admitted students should keep in mind that awards are based on merit (not need) and are strategically and deliberately determined based on:

  • Faculty ratings assigned during the application review process;
  • Merits demonstrated via the supplemental items in the application file, including the academic, co- and extra-curricular history, and, at times, professional credentials as well as the demonstrated and pronounced commitment to public service;
  • Suggested merit aid value generated by ý's Propensity to Enroll (PTE) modelthat is a predictive model informed by an array of factors gleaned from three years of student yield data.

SPA merit awards have appealing characteristics:

  • Renewability (Merit award recipients may renew their awards as long as a 3.0 cumulative GPA is maintained and the student makes satisfactory academic progress toward their degree program.); and
  • Flexibility (Merit awards support any threshold of enrollment* and are intact for the duration of the student's respective master's degree.)
    *All international students (F-1/J-1 visa holders) will be required to maintain full-time enrollment.

SPA offers the following types of merit aid awards:

  • Partial Tuition Remission
    The most common type of SPA merit aid award is partial tuition remission. SPA extends customized tuition remission awards of varying levels that offer a merit aid recipient a great deal of flexibility in how they are applied. SPA’s tuition remission awards offer a per credit hour tuition discount that will be applied based on a student’s enrollment level in each semester of their degree program.
  • Graduate Assistantships
    Graduate assistantships are awarded to admitted students based on an alignment of skills, experience, and/or interests that will support SPA faculty, research institutes and centers, and administrative operations. Graduate Assistantship (GA) positions require ten (10) or twenty (20) hours of work per week and are paid via a stipend that, at current pay rates, rangefrom $2,662.50 to $5,325per semester.
  • Donor-Based Scholarship Awards
    A limited number of private AU or SPA scholarships are funded annually or through an endowment by gifts from donors. All admitted students are automatically reviewed, and a separate scholarship application is not required. Criteria may be based on merit, academic program, professional aspiration, and/or other factors as designated by the donor. Awards range from $1000 to $8,000 a semester.
  • Affiliations & Sponsorships
    SPA is proud to recognize a number of priority affiliations of strong, admitted students. A partial listing of the “sponsored” and/or “priority” merited programs include Washington Semester Alumni and Priority Partners, Rangel, Pickering, Payne Finalists and Fellows,PPIA Finalists and Fellows, Roosevelt Fellows, Returning Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), McNair Scholars, Florida A&M University Alumni (FAMU), HCBUs, HSIs, First Generation College, AmeriCorps, Teach for America (TFA), and Bonner Scholars. Most often, candidates with priority affiliations and sponsorshipsare extended an application fee waiver and priority merit aid consideration.

All questions related to SPA's merit aid award process are welcomed atspagrad@american.edu.

SPA Affiliate Program Fellowships

Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows

Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program

The Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program supports Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) incontinuingtheir dedication to community service while pursuing a master's degree inthe School of Public Affairs (SPA) at ý.SPA's Coverdell Fellows program contributes to the civic and service needs of the community at large through an educationalcollaboration between SPA and the Peace Corps. Current and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers mayreviewtheeligibility requirements for the Coverdell Fellows program at
Learn More

For more information, email SPAGrad@american.edu or call 202-855-6230.

SPA Application & Admission
SPA is proud to support the Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program. SPA has a rolling admissions process and welcomes applications from Payne Fellows (and finalists) by the priority deadline of February 15. Payne Fellows (and finalists) should indicate their status on the electronic application when prompted and an application fee waiver code will be offered so Finalists/Fellows may apply for free.

Financial Award
Admitted Payne Fellows will receive arobust financial package. The SPA Merit Award in combination with the Fellowship support will guarantee full tuitionfor aFellow in SPA’s Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), M.S. in Justice, Law & Criminology, M.S. in Terrorism & Homeland Security Policy, M.A. in Political Science, or M.A. in Political Communication. Payne Fellows are also eligible for consideration for a graduate assistantship. With this, the total SPA Merit Award for a Payne Fellow is valued at over$49,000*.

*Value based on a MPA or MPP student with a 20-hour graduate assistantship.

Upon admission, the SPA Merit Award for Payne finalists(individuals selected for interviews but not designated as Fellows)will be determined based on the merit presented in the application file.

For more information, email SPAGrad@american.edu or call 202-855-6230.

SPA Application & Admission
SPA is proud to serve as a school partner for the Pickering Fellowship Program. SPA has a rolling admissions process and welcomes applications from Pickering Fellows (and finalists) by the priority deadline of February 15. Pickering Fellows (and finalists) should indicate their status on the electronic application when prompted and an application fee waiver code will be offered so Finalists/Fellows may apply for free.

Financial Award
Admitted Pickering Fellows will receive a robustfinancial package. The SPA Merit Award in combination with the Fellowship’s annual tuition remission and stipend will guarantee full tuition for aFellow in SPA’s Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), M.S. in Justice, Law & Criminology, M.S. in Terrorism & Homeland Security Policy, M.A. in Political Science, or M.A. in Political Communication. Pickering Fellows are also eligible for consideration for a graduate assistantship. With this, the total SPA Merit Award for a Pickering Fellow could reach nearly $49,000*.

*Value basedon a MPA or MPP student with a 20-hour graduate assistantship.

Upon admission, the SPA Merit Award for Pickering finalists(individuals selected for interviews but not designated as Fellows)will be determined based on the merit presented in the application file.

For more information, email SPAGrad@american.edu or call 202-855-6230.


rangel

SPA Application & Admission
SPA is proud to serve as a school partner for the Rangel International Affairs Program. SPA has a rolling admissions process and welcomes applications from Rangel Fellows (and finalists) by the priority deadline of February 15. Rangel Fellows (and finalists) should indicate their status on the electronic application when prompted and an application fee waiver code will be offered so Finalists/Fellows may apply for FREE.

Financial Award
Admitted Rangel Fellows will receive a robustfinancial package. The SPA Merit Award in combination with the Fellowship’s annual tuition remission and stipend will guarantee full tuition for a Fellow in SPA’s Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Public Policy (MPP), M.S. in Justice, Law & Criminology, M.S. in Terrorism & Homeland Security Policy, M.A. in Political Science, or M.A. in Political Communication. Rangel Fellows are also eligible for consideration for a graduate assistantship. With this, the total SPA Merit Award for a Rangel Fellow could reach nearly $49,000*.

*Value basedon a MPA or MPP student with a 20-hour graduate assistantship.

Upon admission, the SPA Merit Award for Rangel finalists (individuals selected for interviews but not designated as Fellows)will be determined based on the merit presented in the application file.

For more information, email SPAGrad@american.edu or call 202-855-6230.

Institutional Partnerships

Current AmeriCorps volunteers and alumni who are admitted to anSPA’s master’s degree programs (on-campus, online or Executive) will be offered an application fee waiver code so they may apply for free and upon completing their application by the priority deadline (February 15-Fall entry or November 1-Spring entry) and gaining admission will receive a guaranteed scholarship that matches the Segal Education Award up to the $6000 threshold (only one match per student is available). Priority, admitted AmeriCorps volunteers and alumni will also be considered for other merit aid opportunities and, if awarded, will be extended the greater between the two (the Segal Education Awardmatch or SPA Merit Award). Questions may be directed to spagrad@american.edu.

Full-time Washington Post employees, spouses, or dependents admitted to any of SPA’s residential, master’s degree programs are eligible for at least $10,000 in merit aid over the course of their program.

96 percent

of Fall 2024 admitted students received merit aid

Still Have Questions?

Please contact the Office of Graduate Admissions (OGA) at 202-885-6230 or spagrad@american.edu. We're here to help!