APUS has a rolling academic year that is different from traditional institutions which typically operate on an academic year normally defined by fall and spring semesters. To simplify understanding, APUS has divided the calendar year into four terms (previously referred to as semesters): Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. There are three start dates in each term, occurring on the first Monday of each month of the term (12 start dates per year). Courses are offered in 8- and 16-week formats and are normally 3 semester hours. Students may take a combination of 8- and 16-week classes and may overlap class starts to fit their individual schedules.

To comply with the rules established by the Department of Education for disbursement of Federal Student Aid under the provisions of Title IV of the Higher Education Act, students receiving Federal Student Aid must take classes on a defined 16 week academic semester schedule, which should not be confused with the APUS Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall terms. Two consecutive 16-week academic semesters (32 weeks) comprise the student’s academic year, and students receiving FSA may not take classes that overlap semesters. When students first start their studies at APUS, the start date of their first class defines the start date of their individual 16-week academic semester, during which they must take a prescribed number of classes (semester hours) to be eligible for FSA. Counseling for students receiving FSA will be conducted by the APUS financial aid staff and other appropriate staff during the registration process to ensure that they understand the rules for number of semester hours attempted, academic semester restrictions, etc.