In response to COVID-19, the Office of Merit Awards will be operating remotely for the foreseeable future. We are conducting advising appointments and events virtually. If you would like to request an advising appointment, or if you have any other questions or concerns, please contact meritawards@american.edu. Access information about the University's response to COVID-19 here.
Check out a complete listing of graduate and undergraduate scholarship deadlines.
Undergraduate Info Sessions for Boren Scholarship (1/13/2021 AU deadline; 2/3/2021 national deadline)
10/22 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Boren Scholarship: Getting Started
11/5 | 12-1 p.m. ET| Workshop: Essay 1 (Framing Your National Security Argument)
11/11 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Workshop: Essay 2 (How to Write About Your Motivations and Career Plans)
Graduate Info Sessions for Boren Fellowship (1/27/2021 national deadline)
10/21 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Boren Fellowship: Getting Started
11/5 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Workshop: Essay 1 (Framing Your National Security Argument)
11/11 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Workshop: Essay 2 (How to Write About Your Motivations and Career Plans)
12/1 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Preparing Your Boren Budget
11/17/2020 national deadline
Info Sessions
9/22 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Zoom info session
10/21 | 4-5 p.m. ET | Zoom info session
Writing Workshops
10/28 | 12-1 p.m. ET | Zoom workshop
11/4 | 4-5 p.m. ET | Zoom workshop
3/16 | 12:45-2:15 p.m. ET | Fulbright Kickoff: Zoom Session
3/25 | 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. ET | Fulbright: ETA Grants: Zoom Session
3/30 | 11:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m. ET |Fulbright: Research Grants: Zoom Session
4/8 | 12:45-2:15 p.m. ET | The Fulbright Experience as a Visible Minority: Zoom Session
4/13 | 12:45-2:15 p.m. ET |Fulbright: Study Grants: Zoom Session
4/20 | 4:00-5:30 p.m. ET | Final Fulbright Info. Session: Zoom Session
First Assignments Due: June 2021
Campus Deadline: Early September 2021
National Deadline: Mid-October 2021
Princeton in Latin America, Princeton in Asia, and Princeton in Africa
National deadlines for the "Princeton in" 2021-2022 application cycles will occur in Fall 2021, which is when the office will begin offering advising appointments.
Rangel Graduate Fellowship, Pickering Fellowship, and Payne Fellowship
National deadlines: Fall 2021 (exact dates vary by program)
2/25/21 | 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET | Zoom Info Session (for all three programs)
Gilman Scholarship | National Deadline(for 2021-2022 study abroad): March 2, 2021
2/3/21 | 3:00-4:00 p.m. ET | Zoom Session
NSF-Graduate Research Fellowship | National Deadline: October 2021
2/8/21 | 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET | Zoom Session
Graduate School in the UK Info Session | National Deadline: Fall 2021 (exact dates vary by scholarship)
AU Campus Deadline (for consideration for nomination for the 2021-2022 competition cycle): February 22, 2021
2/10/21 | 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. ET | Zoom Session
Schwarzman and Soros Scholarships | Fall 2021 (exact dates TBD)
2/15/21 | 4:00-5:00 p.m. ET | Zoom Session
Truman Scholarship | National Deadline(for 2020-2021 competition cycle): February 2, 2021
AU Campus Deadline (for consideration for nomination for the 2021-2022 competition cycle): March 15, 2021
2/18/21 | 12:45-2:15 p.m. ET | Zoom Session
Achievements
Following their completion of the Rangel Graduate Fellowship program, Zizhan Luo (SIS/BA, CAS/BS ’19) and Tammy Nguyen (SIS/BA ’21) will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers in the US Department of State.
Achievements
The highly competitive Fulbright US Scholars Program honored 11 American University alumni and one PhD student with awards to carry out self-designed research projects or teach English during the 2020–2021 academic year.
Science
Anthony LoPrete (BS physics and computational science ’21) was selected from a pool of 1,343 university-nominated candidates for a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship.
Announcement
School of Public Affairs Student is selected as a 2020 Truman Scholar
Announcement
American University was named one of the nation’s leading universities and colleges for Fulbright U.S. Students.
Communications
Meredith Bartley, who graduated from American University School of Communication (AU SOC) in 2018, is the latest of many AU students to be selected for the prestigious Fulbright Scholar program.
International
Kayla Tolbert has worked full-time through grad school and she’s now studying immersive Arabic in Jordan.
Alumni
Alumna Mackenzie Kelley (Magna Cum Laude, BS biochemistry ’18) has been awarded a Fulbright US Student Award for Research.
Nationally competitive awards help candidates accomplish their goals.
EIP is an academic enrichment initiative for academically outstanding second-year & transfer students.
number 2 for Boren Scholars & Fellows combined
55 Fulbright Scholars since 2013
127 recipients, alternates, and finalists for nationally competitive scholarships (2017-18)
I wanted to pursue a career in public service as a Foreign Service Officer.
"Growing up in the Virgin Islands, I experienced firsthand how climate change impacts the most susceptible individuals. Experiencing these environmental pressures fostered my dedication to environmental activism and my desire to help those who are similarly affected. The Rangel Fellowship presented an amazing opportunity to finance graduate school and an avenue into an impactful career working to prevent environmental degradation. The Office of Merit Awards helped me prepare a competitive application and provided continuous support during the process."
