American Public University System Honors U.S. Military Veterans for Their Service and Sacrifices on Veterans Day

APUS Offers Scholarships, Newly Launched Freedom Grant® and Ongoing Support of Military-Affiliated Events

Charles Town, WV—November 11, 2020 – American Public University System (APUS) is proud to provide accessible and affordable higher education to over 17,500 veteran students as we observe Veterans Day this year. APUS – the #1 college for veterans using their GI Bill as measured by student enrollment and the top choice for students using Tuition Assistance (TA), according to Military Times – offers online degree and certificate programs through American Military University (AMU) and American Public University (APU).

“We at American Public University System are proud to play a small but significant role in Veterans Day, because we count ourselves fortunate to support our veteran students and their family members, as well as a strong veteran constituency among our employees,” said APUS President Dr. Wade Dyke. “For us, this is not just a one-day event. Throughout the year, the APUS community honors veterans on our campus, in our local and online communities, and at events like Wreaths Across America and the National Memorial Day Parade.”

The APUS Board of Trustees includes five U.S. retired military generals: Gen. Thomas Conant, Gen. David Huntoon, Gen. Vincent Stewart, Gen. Richard Trefry, and Gen. Alfred M. Gray, who is Board Chairman. Gen. Gray, the 29^th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps, commented, “Veterans Day is an opportunity to pay our respects to all of the magnificent men and women throughout the years who have served our great nation in peace and in war.”

Chairman Gray’s full message can be viewed here: www.amu.apus.edu.

APUS offers over 200 unique, service-minded online degree and certificate programs, affordable tuition, monthly class starts and a scholar-practitioner faculty; it is showing its commitment to veterans in many ways, including:

• The awarding of scholarships. At a recent ceremony held at the American Veterans Center (AVC) in Arlington, Va., General Alfred M. Gray, USMC (Ret.), Chairman of the APUS Board of Trustees and the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps, formally awarded scholarships to two military-affiliated future students, U.S. Army Veteran Kenya Baker, of Reisterstown, Md., and Anthony Featherston, of Stafford, Va., a Staff Sergeant from the Young Marines National Youth Program. The awards are included in the TV Special American Valor – We Stand Together, a salute to American heroes from the last 75 years, which airs on major TV networks starting on Veterans Day. AMU is an ongoing sponsor of the AVC.
• The AMU Freedom Grant^®, offered 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. APUS has awarded over $17.6 million in grants to approximately 49,000 U.S. Armed Forces members in the first six months of 2020, including National Guard, Reservists, spouses, and dependents (the grant applies to active-duty U.S. military, National Guard members, and Reservists using military tuition assistance).
• Ongoing commitment to Wreaths Across America – APUS will again donate funds and coordinate extensive volunteer efforts including the transportation of wreaths to veteran cemeteries as part of National Wreaths Across America Day, on Dec. 19, 2020.

APUS also recognizes its many veteran students and alumni who are President Management Fellows and a recent White House Fellow, AMU graduate Cathryn Yerage, a U.S. Air Force Major who was appointed as part of the 2020-2021 White House Fellows class. The highly regarded White House Fellowship provides professionals from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to engage in public service for one year by serving in various roles in the Federal Government. Major Yerage, of Goldsboro, N.C., earned a Master of International Relations and Conflict Resolution Degree from American Military University. She is working at the U.S. Department of State.

Observed annually on November 11, Veterans Day commemorates U.S. military veterans and was initiated as a way to pay tribute at the end of World War I in 1918.

Supporting Resources

• Read more about military tuition assistance at APUS: https://www.amu.apus.edu/tuition-and-financing/paying-for-school/military-ta/.
• Learn more about AMU: http://start.amu.apus.edu/military-degrees/overview.
• For more info on the Freedom Grant: https://www.apus.edu/newsroom/press-releases/2020/2020-11-02-apus-enables-us-service-members-to-pursue-undergraduate-masters-degrees-for-zero-out-of-pocket-tuition.