We've Got Your Six

We take great pride in our rich military heritage and have been committed to educating those who serve since 1991. Our military-friendly online university offers 200+ undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates, as well as multiple resources to help our military students and their families maximize their benefits. 

Whether you are stationed on base, deployed, or transitioning from the military to civilian workforce, our flexible online programs allow you to learn anywhere and anytime, enabling you to fulfill your commitments to your family, the military, and your career.

A Few Reasons Why We Are #11 APU Removes Barriers

$0 Application Fee
For Undergraduate and Master's-level Programs2
$0 Transfer Credit Fee
0 Entrance Exams
$250 Cost Per Credit Hour
Preferred Military Rate3
$0 Ebooks
Provided at no cost to eligible students4

1Based on FY 2019 Department of Defense tuition assistance data, as reported by Military Times, 2020, and Veterans Administration student enrollment data as of 2023.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by the VA is available at the official https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/.

2A $100 fee is required for all doctoral applications.

3All U.S. active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists, and military families (parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents) are eligible for the Preferred Military Rate of $250/credit for undergraduate and master’s-level courses.  The Preferred Military Rate, which is applied automatically, supersedes all other university grants and special rates, and cannot be combined with any other special promotions.

4Ebooks are provided at no cost to all undergraduate, doctoral, and Preferred Military Rate-eligible master’s-level students. A hard-copy textbook is provided at no cost if an ebook is not available.

Military Woman Looking at Computer

ArmyIgnitED

If you are a current student and an active-duty soldier, Army National Guard member, or Army Reservist who plans to use Tuition Assistance (TA) or Credentialing Assistance (CA) to pay for school, you must create a student account in ArmyIgnitED.

If you are not yet a student, you must first apply to American Public University.

All Army servicemembers interested in requesting TA or CA can learn about next steps and get your questions answered by visiting our ArmyIgnitED webpage.

Questions?

Should you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

Ross Patterson Headshot
The University has a faculty and staff that are supportive and go the extra mile in helping those in the military achieve goals that sometimes seem too far off and unattainable. The support and flexibility provided help active adults who have careers, family and life challenges reach the goals they set to better themselves in higher education.
Ross Patterson
BA, Emergency and Disaster Management
MA, Emergency and Disaster Management

 Scholarship Opportunities

 * Active Duty | ♦ Veteran | ≈ Spouses and Dependents

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Preferred Military Rate

 

American Public University's Preferred Military Rate, which is $250 per credit hour for both undergraduate and master’s-level courses, is available to all U.S. active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists, and their families, including parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents.

To further minimize education costs, American Public University also offers $0 cost ebooks for all undergraduate, doctoral, and Preferred Military Rate-eligible master’s-level courses.

The Preferred Military Rate, which is applied automatically, supersedes all other university grants and special rates, and cannot be combined with any other special promotions.

Get the Credit You Deserve

Turn your prior education, military service or work experience into academic credit* at American Public University. 

*The University reserves the right to accept or deny credits according to the policies outlined on these transfer credit webpages. Actual time to completion will be based upon transfer credit evaluation and eligibility.

Learn More About Transfer Credit

 

We're Here to Help

Find Your Local Military Education Manager

If you cannot find a representative in your area, please email [email protected] or call

877-755-2787

Mon - Thurs:  8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET

Fri: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET

Sat: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET

Sun: Closed

Check Out Our Blog

Steps to Get Started

 

Admissions Info by Branch

Servicemembers, military family members, and veterans follow the same general admission requirements as all other  undergraduate or  graduate students. Here is additional branch-specific information just for you:

Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) Graduates

CCAF graduates can complete certain bachelor's degrees in 60 semester hours or less through the Air University's Associate-to-Baccalaureate Cooperative Program (AU-ABC).

View approved programs

 

The CCAF General Education Mobile (GEM)

American Public University is proud to be one of a select few academic institutions invited to participate in the CCAF GEM program, allowing Airmen to complete CCAF's 15 semester hours of general education requirements from a selection of American Public University courses. If you are enrolling here to transfer credits back to CCAF, select "Undergraduate Individual Courses" when you complete the admissions application.

View approved GEM courses

 

ID Verification

Undergraduate Airmen are required to submit a government-issued CCAF transcript. Graduate Airmen will submit a legible copy of a government-issued photo ID

Please note: Military ID cannot be accepted.

 

Tuition Assistance

Air Force tuition assistance (TA) is offered to active-duty Airmen and Reserves on extended active duty. TA is paid up to $250 per credit hour for a total of $4,500 per fiscal year.

Learn more about tuition assistance

 

ArmyIgnitED

If you are a current student and an active-duty soldier, Army National Guard member, or Army Reservist who plans to use Tuition Assistance (TA) or Credentialing Assistance to pay for school, you must create a student account in ArmyIgnitED.

If you are not yet a student, you must first apply to American Public University.

All Army servicemembers interested in requesting TA or CA can learn about next steps and get your questions answered by visiting our ArmyIgnitED webpage.

Questions?

Should you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact us at [email protected].

ID Verification

The university will automatically submit a government-issued joint services transcript (JST) for all applicable servicemembers.

Tuition Assistance

All soldiers, including Army Reserve and Army National Guard on active duty, are eligible for TA for up to $250 per credit hour with a $4,000 cap per fiscal year.

Learn more about tuition assistance

 

Credentialing Assistance (CA)

As a CA provider we offer on-demand courses that support your pursuit of in-demand industry credentials available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Learn more about credentialing assistance

ID Verification

The university will automatically submit a government-issued joint services transcript (JST) for all applicable servicemembers.

 

Tuition Assistance

Coast Guard tuition assistance (TA) is offered to uniformed personnel who are on active duty (including Reservists on Active Duty Operational Support (ADOS) or Extended Active Duty (EAD) contracts. The Coast Guard is now offering 100% tuition assistance not to exceed $250 per credit hour and $4,500 per fiscal year.

Learn more about tuition assistance

CBIRF

Marines and sailors in the Marine Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), at the Naval Support Facility in Indian Head, Maryland can receive college credit at American Public University for their extensive training in emergency and disaster response. CBIRF students completing the Basic Operations Course can receive up to 15 transfer credits toward one of five associate and bachelor’s degree programs offered at AMU.

 

Eligible CBIRF Programs

 

ID Verification

The university will automatically submit a government-issued joint services transcript (JST) for all applicable servicemembers.

 

Tuition Assistance

Marine Corps tuition assistance (TA) is offered to active-duty Marines up to $250 per credit hour for a total of $4,500 per fiscal year.

Learn more about tuition assistance

Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership

This program allows all active, retired, or reserve members of the U.S. Navy to pursue rating-relevant degrees in the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership (NCPDLP) in associate and bachelor degree programs. Please contact one of our regional education coordinators located near you.

 

ID Verification

The university will automatically submit a government-issued joint services transcript (JST) for all applicable servicemembers.

 

Tuition Assistance

Navy tuition assistance (TA) is offered to active duty sailors and selected Reservists on active duty for 120 continuous days who have completed a minimum of three years of service (Cannot be waived). Additionally, TA is capped at eighteen (18) semester hours per fiscal year and you can be reimbursed up to 100% of the course cost, not to exceed $250 per semester hour. Sailors can only use TA to fund two courses each quarter of the fiscal year. Active duty enlisted Sailors under 16 years of service and reservists on active duty orders must have 12 months or more remaining on their current enlistment or extension as of the course start date.

Learn more about tuition assistance

Military family members include parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents of active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, and Reservists.

These family members qualify for these benefits at American Public University:

  • The Preferred Military Rate. After the rate is applied, undergraduate and master's-level courses are $250/credit hour.
  • Ebooks provided at no cost to military family members enrolled in undergraduate and master's-level courses.

Military spouses are also eligible to participate in the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship program.

Benefits of Using MyCAA

  • The scholarship provides military spouses with up to $4,000 of financial assistance for qualified programs. 

Eligibility

You can apply for MyCAA if you are the spouse of a servicemember on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2, and O-1 to O-2, and you can start and complete your coursework while your spouse is on Title 10 military orders. This includes spouses married to members of the National Guard and Reserve Components in these same pay grades.

Visit the MyCAA Spouse Portal online to apply. A real-time eligibility check will confirm if you meet MyCAA eligibility requirements.

Visit our MyCAA Scholarship page for details on using your MyCAA benefits here at the university. You can also call an admissions representative 877-755-2787 or email [email protected] for more help.

You served our nation. Now it’s time for us to serve you.

As a veteran, you might be searching for “veteran friendly” colleges to advance your education.  At American Public University, we honor our veterans and their families by offering a tuition grant for undergraduate and master’s-level programs. Veteran family members include parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings, and dependents. 

It also means we have military veterans on our faculty and staff, and a dedicated veteran's support team. Here you'll find:

  • Individual help activating your veterans benefits, as well as academic and career support.
  • Flexible, online course schedules that let you study whether on a rotating work shift, business trip or a re-activation.
  • A school that participates in the GI Bill Yellow Ribbon program.
  • 70,000+ other veteran and military students just like you.

 

Additional Resources

Visit our Veterans Benefits page to learn how you can use your benefits to pay for school.

Check out the VA GI Bill comparison table to understand which benefits are right for you.

Complete your GI Bill application on the VA Benefits website. Note: Enrollment verification cannot be submitted until the university receives a copy of your completed VA paperwork and you have successfully enrolled in a class. Once your paperwork is processed and you have started classes, the VA Certifying Official will electronically submit your Certification of Enrollment (22-1999).

Join the 45,000-member strong Student Veterans of America chapter.

 

Next Steps

Courses Start Monthly
Next Courses Start Apr 1
Make sure to apply for Military Tuition Assistance 7 days prior to start date.
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