Institution of the Year Award Validates AMU’s Ongoing Commitment to Educating Service Members, Veterans, and their Families
CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., Jan. 30, 2024 – The Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) today recognized American Military University (AMU) as the 2024 Institution of the Year for its dedication to educating active-duty service members and their families. The annual award commemorates a higher education institution’s outstanding accomplishments in military education.
For more info on how AMU supports military-affiliated students, visit here.
“The CCME award is not only an honor, it’s a testament to AMU’s many student-focused faculty and staff who are devoted to serving over 60,000 military students and their families,” said Nuno Fernandes, President of American Public University System. “We are honored to receive this award as it highlights our strong commitment to serving learners of all backgrounds.”
Mr. Fernandes and several AMU employees received the award at the CCME Symposium in Denver.
“Education is one of the most effective ways to improve a person’s life, and CCME plays an important role in this mission,” said CCME President Esmeralda Silva. “We’re proud to recognize noteworthy universities like AMU that are going above and beyond to help educate active-duty service members.”
CCME is a worldwide non-profit organization that promotes, encourages, and delivers quality education to service members and their families in all branches of the U.S. armed services. It was founded over 50 years ago by several Education Services Officers (ESOs) to better serve the needs of military personnel pursuing a college education.
“We at AMU are proud to continue our legacy of serving the brave, and we take this commitment very seriously,” said Román Ortega, Senior Vice President for Student Success at AMU. “We are steadfast in our dedication to the military community.”
Ortega, also a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, leads AMU’s dedicated military education team. AMU’s military education managers, located at military installations across the United States, provide support with admissions, career services, tuition assistance, financial aid, and help military students access the University’s resources, many of which are offered at no additional cost. This includes access to:
- A career-coaching service when they have completed nearly all their degree programs,
- An AI-powered resume building platform,
- An online job board built for students and alums,
- Virtual career fairs and events,
- A career services department and robust platform to assist students in their job searches.
AMU supports students in many ways, including personalized guided pathways to help ensure they stay on track to earn their degree on schedule; 24x7 mental health support services; academic advisors that assist students; and peer mentoring.
AMU helps ensure affordability with military-friendly tuition rates – military students pay no book fees for undergraduate courses. The University is among a small number of schools to offer a Veteran Tuition Grant program, enabling savings for veterans and their extended families.
AMU was founded by a visionary retired U.S. Marine in 1991 as a distance-learning institution for service members. Today, AMU’s 200-plus online programs cater to active-duty military students, veterans, and their family members.
About American Public University System
American Public University System (APUS) delivers affordable, high-quality, workforce-relevant higher education. With a vibrant, diverse, and inclusive, 32-year history and over 137,000 alumni from more than 100 countries, APUS is recognized for its innovative approach to online learning. APUS is in the top 11% for students’ return on educational investment, compared to 4,500 colleges and universities nationwide, according to the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2022)1.
APUS, which includes American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU), is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. APUS is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: APEI). For more information, visit www.apus.edu.
1Ranking based on 20-year net present value (NPV) https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/roi2022/.
