APU Student Handbook
In this section

Last Revision: October 29, 2024

Military Tuition Assistance

We have been educating those who serve™ since 1991, and we are a top provider of education to the U.S. military today. We are as dedicated to helping you pay for school as we are to helping you start and finish it. Here are just a few ways we support our military students:

  • Low tuition rates to help limit your out-of-pocket costs beyond military tuition assistance (TA).
  • A Preferred Military Rate of $250/credit hour for undergraduate and master’s-level courses for all U.S. active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists and their families, including parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings and dependents.
  • A master's-level book grant is available to active-duty servicemembers, National Guard members, Reservists and their families, including parents, spouses, legal partners, siblings and dependents providing no-cost ebooks for master’s-level courses.
  • Possible transfer credits for your military courses including CCAF, JST, DANTES, METC, and ACE-evaluated training. The University reserves the right to accept or deny credits according to the policies outlined on these transfer credit webpages.
  • Inclusion in the DANTES Catalog of Nationally and Institutional Accredited Distance Learning Programs.
  • Online support teams and military education coordinators located at, or near, base installations around the country.

Steps to Using Military TA

We recommend you start this process at least four weeks prior to your course start date.

  1. Apply for admission to our university and print your degree plan.
  2. Register for courses; all branches require registration prior to approval.
  3. Choose Military TA as your payment method.
  4. Meet with your Education Services Officer (ESO) for a briefing on TA.
  5. Request required TA forms through your ESO or branch education portal for each course with a unique start date (use TA school code 3389A).
  6. Army students will need to use the ArmyIgnitED Portal to request TA. You will apply for tuition assistance through the portal and it will be sent electronically to APUS for processing.
  7. Air Force students will utilize an online system for requesting Air Force tuition assistance through the Air Force Virtual Education Center. You will apply for tuition assistance through the portal and it will be sent electronically to APUS for processing.
  8. Navy, Marine Corps., and Coast Guard students will submit an application through the Navy College Office’s virtual WebTA portal.
  9. Disclose all sources of aid: Contact the financial aid office if you plan to use multiple sources of aid, such as FSA or other scholarships.
  • Please review these helpful steps to assist with the Navy College Office's Tuition Assistance approvals.
  • You may upload a copy of your Tuition Assistance Authorization securely through the Secure Document Upload portal: https://mydocs.apus.edu. Please log in with your ecampus ID and Password to upload the required document(s).

Branch TA Portals

Each branch of the service has a specific TA process. Please select your branch portal below for the most up-to-date information.

  • Air Force (form AF 1227) - Help line: 877-596-5771, Option 7
  • Army
  • Coast Guard (form ETQC 1560) - Help line: 405-954-1360
  • Marine Corps (form NAVMC 10883)
  • National Guard
  • Navy (form NAVEDTRA 1560/5) - Help Line: 877-838-1659
  • Reserves (select your branch portal)

Branch Specific Information

Army: Students will use the ArmyIgnitED Portal to complete TA requests.

  • Fiscal Year Cap: $4,000 tuition or 16 semester hours (whichever comes first)
  • TA Request Deadline: 7 days prior to course start
  • TA Registration start: 60 days prior to course start

Air Force: Students will use the Air Force Virtual Education Center to complete TA requests.

  • Fiscal Year Cap: $4,500 tuition
  • TA Request Deadline: 7 days prior to course start date
  • TA Registration start: 45 days prior to course start

Navy: Students will use the WebTA application through the Navy College Office to complete TA requests.

  • Fiscal Year Cap: $4,500 tuition or 12 semester hours (whichever comes first)
  • TA Request Deadline: 14 days prior to course start date
  • TA Registration start: 60 days prior to course start

USMC: Students will use the WebTA application through the Navy College Office to complete TA requests.

  • Fiscal Year Cap: $4,500 tuition
  • TA Request Deadline: 1 day prior to course start date
  • TA Registration start: 60 days prior to course start

Coast Guard: Students will use the WebTA application through the Navy College Office to complete TA requests.

  • Fiscal Year Cap: $4,500 tuition
  • TA Request Deadline: 7 days prior to course start date (not counting the course start date)
  • TA Registration start: 90 days prior to course start date

Military Spouses

The MyCAA scholarship program provides tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. Follow these steps to pay for your tuition here using MyCAA benefits:

  1. Visit the MyCAA portal to register for the program.
  2. Apply for admission ( AMU | APU) and select MyCAA in the Affiliations and Memberships drop-down menu.
  3. Inform your admissions representative that you intend to use MyCAA.
  4. Register for the approved MyCAA courses.
  5. Select Employee Voucher as your method of payment.
  6. Enter the employer name and address: Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts | 2107 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 100 | Arlington, VA 22209
  7. Enter the EIN number: 11111111
  8. Request your Scholarship Education and Training Plan from [email protected].
  9. Upload your approved plan into your MyCAA portal.
  10. Log into the MyCAA portal and print out a copy of your confirmed Financial Assistance (FA) award and send this to our TA office by faxing to 866-755-8763 or emailing [email protected]

More Military TA Info

These websites offer additional information to help you find answers about your military TA needs.

Studentaid.ed.gov articles: