More than 80 percent of public school students in the District are black and Hispanic. But at most of the city’s elite private universities, they represent a far smaller share of the student body.
Tuition alone at AU is about $50,000 a year.
“We are proud to provide this opportunity to D.C. students who have so much to offer our community and this city,” said Sharon Alston, AU’s provost for undergraduate enrollment. “American University strives to offer new avenues for learning, and I hope that local students who may not have seen AU as an option before will apply and compete to be an AU District Scholar awardee.”
The school has reserved $3 million to cover tuition and housing for students who “demonstrate high academic achievement and significant financial need,” according to a statement. The scholarship program is expected to be formally announced Wednesday morning.
Federal education data shows just 7 percent of students on AU’s campus are black, while 12 percent are Hispanic.
The AU initiative represents the latest attempt by universities in the District to diversify their student bodies. Those efforts include offering scholarships and broadening recruitment of high school students.
AU recently joined other colleges and universities across the nation when it stopped requiring students to submit standardized test scores with their applications. Fewer than 20 percent of D.C. students met or exceeded college and career readiness benchmarks set by the College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, according to city education data.
At Georgetown University, high school students from the District can qualify for financial awards based on need. George Washington University offers scholarships to D.C. graduates that cover tuition, books, fees, and room and board. Nearly 200 students have received the Stephen Joel Trachtenberg Scholarship since 1989, according to the school’s website.
Students who receive Trachtenberg scholarships gain access to professional development, community service opportunities, academic success workshops and meetings with an adviser. It is unclear what kind of additional services recipients of the AU scholarship will receive.
Students at the city’s traditional public and charter schools must apply by Jan. 15 to be considered for the AU District Scholar award. The inaugural cohort of scholarship recipients will be notified in the spring.
The AU scholarships will cover about $800 in mandatory annual fees, books and a student’s meal plan, which can cost families as much as $3,000 each semester.
The 10 scholarships reflect a broader effort by AU to leave its mark on the city beyond its Northwest Washington campus.
In 2018, the university launched a program for high school seniors who want to take college-level courses in its School of Education. And officials are designing a program that will offer full scholarships to students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in education and promise to return to D.C. Public Schools to teach for at least five years.
AU President Sylvia M. Burwell called partnering with the D.C. community an imperative.
“These scholarships will help local students pursue their educational goals close to home and join fellow Eagles in shaping the future of their neighborhood and the world,” Burwell said in a statement.
Correction: An earlier version of this article said a new scholarship program at American University for 10 D.C. students would not cover annual fees or a student’s meal plan. The article has been updated to reflect that fees, books and meal plans are covered.