Dear AU community,
I hope you had a great spring break! It’s hard to believe that we are now in the final stretch of the 2025-26 academic year. With so much happening on campus over the next two months, I’m sharing below just a few things I’m looking forward to (besides warm weather, which I’m told will be here soon?). I also want to share an update from the recent AU Board of Trustees meeting.
First, I’d like to say a special thank you to our students who devoted their spring breaks to service, including those who took part in AU’s three alternative spring break trips to El Progreso, Honduras, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Cambridge, Maryland. You all truly represent the best of the Eagle spirit!
This week, the 250+ at American initiative continues with an incredible line-up of events, beginning this afternoon with our next Engaged Scholarship in a Changing World series. Join me for a lunchtime conversation with three School of Communication faculty members – Natalie Hopkinson, Laura Hinson, and Aram Sinnreich – who will share insights on their scholarship and teaching (Box lunches will be provided).
Coming up, we have two 250+ at American presidential speaker series conversations:
- On Wednesday, March 25 at 5:30 p.m., in conjunction with the Bishop C.C. McCabe Lecture, I’ll be leading a conversation with Nicholas Boggs (CAS/MFA ’09), award-winning author of “Baldwin: A Love Story.” (The first 30 student attendees will receive a signed copy of his book).
- On Tuesday, April 14 at 1 p.m., Reneé Fleming, internationally-renowned opera singer, and Sunil Iyengar, with the National Endowment for the Arts, will join me for a lunch and learn conversation about the burgeoning field of neuroarts.
- And, at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 14, Reneé Fleming will join me for a fireside conversation about her incredible career as an artist and an advocate. (The first 30 student attendees will receive a signed copy of her book “Music and the Mind.”)
I’m also excited to share a call for proposals for 250+ at American events and programs for the summer and fall. As part of our effort to both support your ideas and elevate work that is already happening across our campus, we are seeking proposals for programming that connects to the 250+ initiative and is open to the AU community. A 250+ advisory committee will select programs to be awarded up to $1,000 for summer and fall 2026. The deadline for submissions is April 7 - find out more here.
Each year at their winter meeting, the trustees review and approve the proposed tuition, fee, and financial aid levels for the next academic year. This important part of the university budget supports an affordable and accessible AU education for our students and our commitment to student thriving. At the early March meeting, the trustees approved $21 million in additional financial aid resources for next year, and a 4 percent increase in tuition and fees. You can review further details in our 2026-2027 financial aid and tuition fact sheet. AU tuition levels remain at or near the bottom of our peer institutions, and our total undergraduate cost of attendance is the lowest among our competitive set of 25 comparable universities. Our extensive student-focused investments–including substantial growth in financial aid budgets and the continued transformation of student spaces on campus with more than $170 million invested in student-focused facilities–enhance the vibrant AU experience and expand opportunities for students.
I continue to be inspired by this Eagle community and your commitment to excellence, service, and impact. I hope to see you at these upcoming events and to hear your creative and innovative ideas for 250+ at American as we continue to shape this important commemoration together.
Warmly,
Jonathan R. Alger
President, American University