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Last Revision: October 29, 2024

General Admission Policies

Admissions Identification Verification

In order to verify the identity of and protect the privacy of APUS students and applicants, identity verification will be required of all students applying for admission to any program type. Identity can be verified by submitting the following documents:

  • For non-military applicants and all doctoral applicants: a legible copy of a valid government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID or passport.
  • For undergraduate military and veteran applicants: a government issued Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript. APUS will request the JST on behalf of the applicant and will request the Community College of the Air Force transcript upon submission of a Transcript Release Authorization (TRA) form
  • For master’s and graduate certificate military and veteran applicants in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard: APUS will request the JST on behalf of the applicant.
  • For master’s and graduate certificate military and veteran applicants in the Air Force: a legible copy of a valid government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID or passport.
  • For graduates of public safety academies: academy issued documentation of completion of a post-certification program OR a legible copy of a valid government issued photo ID such as a driver’s license, state ID or passport.
  • For international applicants: a legible copy of a driver’s license, foreign military ID or passport.

Undergraduate Admission - High School Verification

Students must have earned a high school diploma or its equivalent (GED or state issued certificates are accepted) in order to enroll in an undergraduate program at APUS. The credential must be conferred by an institution recognized by the county or state Board of Education in which the degree granting institution is based, or by a regional accrediting body.

  • Students who have earned a diploma from a school that does not meet APUS admissions requirements but who have earned 9 or more hours of college credit may be admitted to APUS on a case by case basis but may not be eligible for certain forms of financial assistance, such as Federal Student Aid (FSA) benefits.[BG1] 

As part of their admissions process, new students to an undergraduate level program who have not earned a college credential  must self certify on their admission application that they have completed secondary school as defined by state law in their state of residence. APUS reserves the right to request the diploma at its recognizance and may periodically request documentation of high school completion from eligible students as part of their admissions process.

Applicants with a non-US high school credential who apply to any undergraduate program will be required to submit an international evaluation of their high school credential. Military and Veterans are exempt from this requirement. Applicants with a non-US high school credential who have earned 60 college credits or more that are applicable to their current degree plan may be eligible to get their high school credential waived. More details regarding standard international admission requirements can be found on our Admission of International Students page. 

Students that APUS has reason to suspect do not possess a valid, accredited, high school credential will be asked to provide documentation of high school completion. Students may also be asked to provide a copy of their high school credential as part of other APUS processes. Any instances where we question the validity of the student's high school credential, we will not accept self-certification as documentation. Admission may be revoked if it is discovered that an individual does not have a high school diploma or its equivalent that meets the requirements, or if they have submitted false information on their application. If this happens, any current registrations will be dropped, admission status will be denied, and any financial aid will be canceled.

Undergraduate Transfer Credit

If an individual applies to enroll in one of our undergraduate degrees and has also taken some college courses at an accredited university without yet earning a bachelor’s degree, the individual will be considered a transfer student and will be required to submit a Transfer Credit (TCE) Application. If enrolling in an undergraduate certificate program, the individual will not be required to submit the TCE Application but may do so if they believe they have college credit that could apply towards their certificate program here at APUS. More details regarding the transfer credit process can be found on our How to Transfer Prior College Credit to APUS page. 

Master's and Graduate Certificate Admission & Transfer Credit

Individuals must have already earned a bachelor degree or higher. The degree must have been conferred by an institution whose accreditation is recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The CHEA’s database or ED’s database may be used to verify if a college’s accreditation will be accepted. If individuals have prior graduate credit, they may submit a TCE Application to have credit evaluated toward their degree, but it is not required.

Document Verification

APUS may verify information that individuals submit, including information provided in the application for admission. APUS may request additional documentation for purposes of verifying information submitted to it or for other purposes, and individuals will be required to respond within a specified deadline to these requests to avoid being denied admission. If APUS determines that information submitted is inaccurate or false or if APUS is unable to verify the accuracy of information submitted, individuals may be denied admission, denied registration in additional courses, and/or expelled from APUS, as applicable.

If an individual is denied admission or expelled due to inability to verify information on the original student application, they will be unable to register for courses and will be withdrawn from all courses in which they are currently registered. If they have been awarded a financial aid package, including Pell Grants and Direct Loans, such financial aid may be adjusted based on the percentage of the semester completed. Please refer to the Federal Student Aid section for more information on the Return of Federal Financial Aid Funds process. For more information regarding general admission requirements, students may contact us at [email protected].

Military and Veteran Policies

All Military Students and Veterans

APUS requires that all current and prior military students submit a Transfer Credit (TCE) Application, regardless of previous college experience, in order to maximize transfer credit. APUS will request the Joint Services Transcript or Community College of the Air Force transcript on the individual’s behalf for evaluation.

All Veteran Students and Those Using VA Benefits

APUS requires most students who are veterans or who use veteran’s benefits to pay for tuition to review, sign and submit a Veteran Student Acknowledgement prior to enrolling in courses. The Acknowledgment serves as affirmation that, in accordance with the Principles of Excellence and statutory requirements, the student has been provided information, and the opportunity to ask questions, regarding education benefits that may potentially be available to them. Veterans who are enrolling in doctoral programs are exempt from this requirement.

One of the criteria for approval of any school for Veterans' training is that the school reviews prior credit and grants credit as appropriate toward a veteran student's current program (see 38 C.F.R. §§ 21.4253(d)(3), 21.4254(c)(4)).  Schools must evaluate prior credit, grant credit as appropriate, notify the student of the evaluation, and shorten the program certified accordingly. Whenever a student initially enrolls at APUS or changes programs at APUS, a credit evaluation must be completed. Credit evaluations are not completed for doctoral level programs.

All veteran and military students will have a Joint Services Transcript (JST) automatically requested on their behalf. Community College of the Air Force transcripts will be requested on the student’s behalf upon submission of a Transcript Release Authorization (TRA) form. Students who are using or plan to use Veterans Benefits at APUS must disclose all instances of prior credit received, per Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations.

Notwithstanding the above:

  • Students in a certificate program will disclose prior credits earned to their Admissions Representative who will determine if prior credit can be applied toward the program.
  • Students in the Courses for Transfer program (i.e., Undergraduate Individual Courses program) will not have prior credits evaluated until a program of study is declared. Students who have not declared a major cannot be certified for VA benefits beyond their sophomore year and only general education courses can be certified prior to the declaration of a major.
  • Graduate level students with no prior graduate level credits are not required to submit a transcript for credit evaluation.

Army Students

Active, reserve or national guard Army students will also be required by the Army to create an Army IgnitED account. In order for us to create the required student agreement plan, students will need to have their tuition assistance approved, and will also need to submit a Transfer Credit (TCE) Application, even if they have never taken any prior college courses.

Air Force Students

Active or reserve Air Force students will need to submit a Transfer Credit (TCE) Application and their CCAF transcript to us, even if they have never taken any prior college courses. The Air Force requires this in order for us to create the student agreement plan needed for tuition assistance approval.

Denial of Admission

To protect its character and standards and in furtherance of its mission, APUS reserves the right to deny or revoke admission to any applicant or current student, or student applying for reenrollment or readmission, and otherwise cease communications with any prospective student, for the following reasons:

  • APUS determines that an application or admission forms, documents, or materials contain or appear to contain false, fraudulent, or incomplete statements.
  • APUS determines that an individual has communicated information to APUS that constitutes a misrepresentation, fraud, or potential fraud with respect to any matter.
  • APUS determines that unresolved discrepancies exist with respect to the individual’s application or admission materials or information.
  • APUS determines that information submitted in support of establishing identity or previous education is false, or APUS is unable to verify the accuracy of information submitted after having provided multiple opportunities for the individual to supply the requested documentation.
  • APUS determines that the individual does not meet applicable admissions requirements for a program.
  • APUS determines that denial or revocation of admission is otherwise in the best interest of APUS or the individual.