American Public University System Enables U.S. Service Members to Pursue Undergraduate and Master’s Degrees for Zero Out-of-Pocket Tuition

Freedom Grant® Awards over $17.6 Million to Approximately 49,000 Students in Just Six Months

Charles Town, WV—November 2, 2020 – American Public University System (APUS), which offers over 200 online degree and certificate programs through American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU), has awarded over $17.6 Million in grants to approximately 49,000 U.S. Armed Forces members in 2020, including National Guard, Reservists, spouses, and dependents through its Freedom Grant^®.

Launched January 1, 2020 to empower military members to start the next chapter of their lives without the burden of college debt, the Freedom Grant provides eligible students the opportunity to complete their undergraduate or master’s-level education for zero out-of-pocket tuition. This applies to active-duty U.S. military, National Guard members, and Reservists using military tuition assistance (TA). 

“We are proud to help so many of our country’s service members learn while they protect our freedom day in and day out,” said APUS President Dr. Wade Dyke. “We have a strong, thirty-year track record of making higher education more accessible to our military. The Freedom Grant builds on that commitment.” 

Through the grant, APUS covers tuition above the military TA cap of $250 per credit hour for active-duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, National Guard members, and Reservists enrolled in undergraduate and master's-level programs. Students receive course textbooks and e-books at no additional cost through a university book grant, and the technology fee is waived.

“Thanks to the Freedom Grant, I am able to obtain a high-quality online education within the confines of my rigid schedule,” said Nina Rivera-Nunez, an MBA student at AMU who is a military spouse. “This is helping me not only gain useful knowledge but also become better positioned for my career in the long-term.”

Military spouses and dependents of active-duty service members are also eligible to receive this tuition grant that caps undergraduate, master’s degree, and graduate certificate tuition at $250 per credit hour (military TA cap). These students also receive textbooks and e-books at no cost through a university book grant (for undergraduate and master’s-level courses).

In September, APUS was named the top choice nationwide for veterans using their GI Bill benefit by Military Times (as measured by student enrollment for FY 2019). The university offers unique service-minded online degree programs, affordable tuition, monthly class starts and a scholar-practitioner faculty. A retired Marine Corps officer founded AMU in 1991, and APUS has repeatedly been named a “Best for Vets” school by Military Times (in the online and non-traditional category).

APUS fosters upskilling by enabling working adults to pursue degrees that help them gain knowledge in a variety of disciplines including business, information technology, education and management. It not only makes higher education more accessible for members of the military, the university helps facilitate program completion by offering transfer credit for military education and training courses including CCAF, JST, DANTES, and ACE-evaluated training. 

Supporting Resources

• Read more about military tuition assistance at APUS: https://www.amu.apus.edu/tuition-and-financing/paying-for-school/military-ta/.
• Read more about APUS being named the top choice for military students using their GI Bill (based on FY 2019 enrollment data): https://www.apus.edu/newsroom/press-releases/2020/2020-10-05-military-times-rates-apus-most-popular.
• Learn more about AMU: http://start.amu.apus.edu/military-degrees/overview.