The federal government offers a number of financial aid options to help you pay for school, including grants and loans. The primary difference is that loans need to be repaid, while most grants do not.
The U.S. Department of Education (studentaid.gov) website provides information on all federal student aid programs, however, the grants and loans listed here are the FSA programs accepted at the university.
You will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for federal aid.
You will need our school code, and your tax information and FSA ID to complete the FAFSA.
APUS School Code: 038193-00 | Location: West Virginia
We administer the Federal Pell Grant.
Pell Grant eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA for each award year. It is available to eligible undergraduate students, with financial need, who have not yet earned a bachelor’s or professional degree.
For the 2023-2024 Award Year, the amount packaged and disbursed depends on your FAFSA Expected Family Contribution (EFC), Cost of Attendance (COA), and enrollment status at census as a full-time or part-time student, each semester.
Beginning with the 2024–2025 Award Year, a student may qualify for a Pell Grant under one of three sets of eligibility criteria:
- Maximum Pell Grant eligibility (Max Pell)
- Calculated Pell Grant eligibility, based on Student Aid Index (SAI)
- Minimum Pell Grant eligibility (Min Pell)
The amount packaged and disbursed depends on your Student Aid Index (SAI), COA, and enrollment intensity.
Pell Grant Eligibility for Dependents of Deceased Service Members and Safety Officers
If your parent or legal guardian died while serving on active duty in the U.S. armed forces on or after September 11, 2001, or while actively serving as and performing the duties of a public safety officer, you may be eligible for a Maximum Pell Grant. Learn more about Federal Pell Grant Eligibility for Unique Circumstances at StudentAid.Gov.
Click here to view the university’s policies for administering the Pell Grant.
The university participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program. To apply, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To receive federal student loans, you must:
- Meet eligibility requirements for FSA
- Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements
- Complete entrance counseling
- Sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
- Be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program
Types of Federal Direct Loans
- Direct Subsidized Loans: For eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need as determined by your cost of attendance minus expected family contribution and other financial aid (such as grants, scholarships, or Tuition Assistance (TA)). Subsidized loans do not typically accrue interest while you are in school at least half-time or during deferment and grace periods.
- Direct Unsubsidized Loans: For eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Borrowers do not have to demonstrate financial need. Unsubsidized loans accrue interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full. Borrowers can choose to pay the interest or allow it to accrue and be capitalized. Capitalizing interest will increase the amount that must be repaid.
- Direct PLUS Loans: Credit-based loan for graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Borrowers do not have to demonstrate financial need. PLUS loans accrue interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.
Loan Interest
If you receive a federal student loan, you will be required to repay that loan with interest. You may make payments on your loan interest and/or principal before repayment is required, and are encouraged to do so on your unsubsidized loan. There is no penalty for repaying loans before they are due.
Origination Fees
Loan fees are deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement you receive. This means the money you receive will be less than the amount you borrow. You're responsible for repaying the entire amount you borrowed and not just the amount you received. Visit StudentAid.Gov to learn more about interest rates and fees.
The chart below outlines annual (academic year) and aggregate (lifetime) borrowing limits for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans. If you choose to borrow student loans, you are never required to borrow the maximum. We encourage you to budget carefully and only borrow what you need.
- The maximum amount an undergraduate student can borrow is based, in part, on program of study, cost of attendance, demonstrated need, grade level and dependency status.
- The maximum amount a graduate student can borrow is based, in part, on program of study and cost of attendance.
- Loan eligibility is subject to change based on other funding sources, changes in enrollment, overlapping enrollment, and borrowing history.
- Annual limits may be impacted for students who have an existing loan for an academic year (loan period) that overlaps their academic year at APUS. This typically occurs for students who transfer schools or change programs.
- Undergraduate loans will be prorated for programs, or remaining portions of programs, which are less than an academic year.
- Certain health profession students may be eligible for increased Direct Unsubsidized Loan annual and aggregate limits.
Undergraduate Annual Loan Limits
| Year Grade Level | Dependent (Excluding dependent students whose parents can't get PLUS) | Independent (Including dependent students whose parents can't get PLUS) |
| First Year | $5,500, with no more than $3,500 as subsidized loan | $9,500, with no more than $3,500 as subsidized loans |
| Second Year | $6,500, with no more than $4,500 as subsidized loans | $10,500, with no more than $4,500 as subsidized loans |
| Third Year and Beyond | $7,500 with no more than $5,500 as subsidized loans | $12,500, with no more than $5,500 as subsidized loans |
| Certificate Program (18 Credit Hours) | $4,125, with no more than $2,625 as subsidized loans | $7,125, with no more than $2,625 as subsidized loans |
Graduate and Professional Student Annual Loan Limits
| Graduate and Professional Students | $20,500 Unsubsidized |
Undergraduate Grade Level Progression for FSA Loan Funding — Based on Credit Hours Earned
| Grade Level | Credit Hours Earned |
| 1st Year – Freshman | 1 to 23 |
| 2nd Year – Sophomore | 24 to 47 |
| 3rd Year – Junior | 48 to 71 |
| 4th Year – Senior | 72+ |
Student Loan Repayment
Student loans are a serious financial obligation and must be repaid. Get the information you need to manage repayment of your federal student loans.
Federal Loan Services
If you have a Federal Direct Loan, you'll be assigned a federal loan servicer after the first disbursement of your loan. You can learn more about loan servicers at StudentAid.gov or My Federal Student Aid to view view information about all of the federal student loans you have received and the loan servicer for your loans.
Keep your contact information up to date so your loan servicer can help you stay on track with repaying your loans. If your circumstances change at any time during your repayment period, your loan servicer will be able to help.
ECMC
APUS has partnered with ECMC to help current and former students understand their student loan repayment options so they can make an informed decision about repaying their student loans. Students with questions about student loan repayment are encouraged to take advantage of these services by contacting ECMC at 888-221-3262 or visiting www.ecmcsolutions.org.
These programs are currently not eligible for FSA. If you are interested in one of these programs, please explore our other options for paying for school.
- Understand Eligibility
Start by visiting the FSA StudentAid.gov website to learn about basic eligibility requirements. - Submit Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Log into FSA website to complete a FASFA for each award year. You will need a FSA ID for this step and remember to include the APUS (AMU/APU) school code: 038193. - Register for Courses
During course registration, you will be prompted to select the month you plan to begin your FSA academic year. - Visit My Financial Aid Office
Log into the student ecampus and visit your Financial Aid Office on a regular basis. This is where you will complete requirements and receive your financial aid package. - Review your Financial Aid Package
Your financial aid package is also called your student budget. It outlines your cost of attendance, expected family contribution, and eligible aid for the academic year. All financial aid packages are assumed accepted unless you communicate otherwise to us. - Disclose all Sources of Aid
Contact the financial aid office if you plan to use multiple sources of aid, such as military TA or other scholarships.
Federal Student Aid funds are disbursed directly to the university to cover semester tuition and fee charges. Once charges have been paid, any remaining funds (credit balances) will be provided to you for other educational expenses.
Credit balances are processed within 14 days.
Our school delivers your refund with BankMobile Disbursements, a technology solution, powered by BMTX, Inc. Visit this link for more information:
https://bankmobiledisbursements.com/refundchoicessso/
To view our contract, click here: https://www.vibeaccount.com/swc/doc/landing/qwa9epiwyz82vs5ff48z
After you establish an academic year, you will receive instructions from BankMobile Disbursements by postal mail and email on how to select your refund preference for receiving any credit balance refunds.
Once you qualify for FSA, you'll need to continue to meet basic eligibility requirements, maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP), and complete your FAFSA annually to stay eligible.
Federal financial aid is awarded based upon your enrollment each semester. You should be aware that drops, withdrawals, or failure to complete courses in a semester can affect your federal aid eligibility
Enrollment Status
Undergraduate Students (per 16-week semester)
Undergraduate students need a minimum of 3 credits per semester for Federal Pell Grants, and a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester for FSA loans.
- Full-time student = 12+ semester hours
- 3/4-time student = 9 semester hours
- Half-time student = 6 semester hours
- Less than half-time student = 3 semester hours
Master's Degree and Graduate Certificate Students (per 16-week semester)
Master's Degree and Graduate Certificate students need at least 3 credits per semester for FSA loans.
- Full-time student = 6+ semester hours
- 3/4-time student = 4.5 semester hours
- Half-time student = 3 semester hours
Doctoral Students
You will be considered full-time for each 16-week term. This includes terms during which the dissertation is being worked.
- Full-time: 6+ credit hours (courses) per term
- Full-time: 1 credit hour dissertation within a term
- Half-time: 3 to 5 credit hours (courses) per term
- Less than half-time: 1 to 2 credit hours (courses) per term
Doctoral students who must retake a course(s) must do so within a subsequent term. Enrollment status may differ for this term and will be based on course credit hours. You must maintain at least half-time status to be eligible for Federal Direct Loans.
To receive FSA, the university requires you to follow an academic calendar consisting of two academic semesters. Because our classes start monthly, the dates of your academic semester vary. View our academic year table to determine the start date of each FSA semester.
Keep in mind that each course must fit within the start and end dates of your academic semester.
Be sure to register for all of courses (regardless of the month they start) at least one week before the start of each 16-week semester. Timely planning and registering for courses minimizes the risks of losing part or all of your financial aid eligibility.
If you are a doctoral student, you are aligned with a cohort and assigned an academic year start. Depending on your start and program progression, the academic year will align and advance accordingly.
Professional judgment is the review of a student’s eligibility for financial aid due to extenuating circumstances that may impact their cost of attendance or the family’s ability to pay for school.
Federal Student Aid regulations allow financial aid administrators to use professional judgment, on a case-by-case basis with supporting documentation, to adjust a student’s cost of attendance, dependency status, or certain data elements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to account for special and/or unusual circumstances. Circumstances for professional judgment may fall under one, or both, of the following:
Special Circumstances: Financial situations that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the cost of attendance or on the FAFSA. Some examples of special circumstances may include:
- Loss of employment/income
- Divorce or separations of parents/spouse
- Death of parent(s) or spouse
- Excessive out of pocket medical and/or dental expenses
- Costs associated with a student’s disability.
- Childcare expenses for a dependent child of student
- One-time purchase of a computer for educational use
Unusual Circumstances: Conditions that justify a financial aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation, more commonly referred to as a dependency override.
Professional judgment cannot be exercised to waive general student eligibility requirements or circumvent the law or regulations.
To Request a Professional Judgment:
For more information, or to request a professional judgment (appeal), you may contact Financial Aid Advising by email at [email protected] or by calling 877-755-2787 (Monday – Thursday, from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., EST).
Students will be notified by email regarding the status of any request and are required to check their email and monitor their Financial Aid Office (FAO) for notifications, required documents, and eligibility status updates. The timeframe to complete a professional judgment assessment will vary by student and circumstance. Full consideration cannot be made until the circumstances are fully documented.
Timeframe for Submitting a Request for Professional Judgment
Students are strongly encouraged to submit requests prior to their planned academic year start. The deadline to apply professional judgment on Student Aid Index (SAI) data elements on FAFSA is tied to the applicable Federal Award year published deadlines.
Important Notes
- You must have a completed FAFSA submitted before an appeal can be considered.
- If a student’s FAFSA has been selected for verification, verification must be completed before any professional judgment consideration can be made.
- Conflicting information and/or C-Codes must be resolved before any professional judgment consideration can be made.
- Adequate documentation must be provided to support your request.
- Decisions are final and cannot be appealed with the Department of Education.
- Requesting an appeal does not guarantee approval or additional funding.
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund II (HEERF II) is part of the federal government’s Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) (Pub. L. 116-260). HEERF II provides emergency grants from the US Department of Education to eligible students and institutions to help cover education-related expenses caused by the Coronavirus pandemic. In accordance with reporting requirements, we are providing the information below:
APUS acknowledges that a signed Certification and Agreement was submitted to the Department on April 14, 2021 for HEERF II (CRRSAA) funding. This agreement indicated our commitment and assurance that APUS would use no less than 100% of the funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
HEERF II FUNDS RECEIVED BY APUS
APUS received $589,828 in HEERF II funding, of which 100% was distributed to 2,858 students to help cover expenses related to the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arose due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or childcare.
HEERF II CRITERIA
In accordance with regulations and guidance established by the U.S. Department of Education, the criteria for identifying students with exceptional need and eligibility for HEERF II funding is as follows:
- Student applied for Federal Student Aid and the financial aid package was approved for the 2020-2021 award year (July 1-June 30);
- Student is Pell eligible with an Estimated Family Contribution [EFC] of $0, which is an indicator of the most needy Pell recipients;
- Student is enrolled in an Associates or Bachelors program;
- Student has completed one course successfully that started before January 2021 (a letter grade other than F or W); and
- An Academic Year with registrations (non-dropped courses) starting in either January or February 2021, and student was not academically dismissed or disenrolled as of April 28, 2021.
APUS identified 4,009 students who met the above criteria.
HEERF II STUDENT COMMUNICATIONS
APUS sent email notifications regarding the availability of CRRSAA financial aid grants. Students were required to respond via a link provided in the email by no later than 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, 05/27/21. Students who selected the link were directed to a web page, which confirmed their certification, and provided information on how funds would be disbursed. The notifications included instructions regarding the appropriate uses of financial aid grants (e.g. any component of a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus). Students with questions were encouraged to contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 855-731-9218, Monday – Thursday, from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., EST.
The student email communications were sent as follows:
1) May 12, 2021: Initial email sent to the eligible population.
2) May 17, 2021: Reminder email to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgment.
3) May 21, 2021: Reminder email to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgment.
4) May 25, 2021: Final reminder email sent to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgement.
5) May 28, 2021: HEERF II recipients were sent an email advising that the grant funds had been released to Bank Mobile and explaining how funds would be delivered, by electronic deposit or check.
After the deadline had passed, the web page was updated with information that the timeframe for certifying eligibility for the grant had expired.
HEERF II FUNDING SUMMARY
- As of May 27, 2021, APUS received 2,858 student certifications for HEERF II Funding.
- As of June 2, 2021, APUS disbursed a total of $207 to each student.
The total amount disbursed included 100% of the $589,828 allocated HEERF II funding combined with an APUS total contribution of $1,778 in institutional funding for a total of $591,606.
This is the final quarterly posting and covers all HEERF II funding expenditures.
Last Updated 7/8/21
American Rescue Plan (ARP): Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) Reporting
The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) was authorized by the American Rescue Plan (ARP) signed into law on March 11, 2021 and provided funding to institutions of higher learning to serve students and ensure learning continues during the Covid-19 pandemic. In accordance with reporting requirements, we are providing the information below:
APUS acknowledges that a signed the Required Proprietary Institution Certification was submitted to the Department and approved on July 16, 2021 for HEERF III funding. This agreement indicated our commitment and assurance that APUS would use no less than 100% of the funds to provide Emergency Financial Aid Grants to students.
HEERF III Funds Received by APUS
APUS received $330,991 in HEERF III funding, of which 100% was distributed to 1,060 students to help cover expenses related to the student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arose due to coronavirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care (including mental health care) or childcare.
HEERF III Criteria
In accordance with regulations and guidance established by the U.S. Department of Education, the criteria for identifying students with exceptional need and eligibility for HEERF III funding is as follows:
- Student applied for Federal Student Aid and the financial aid package was approved for the 2020-2021 award year (July 1-June 30);
- Student IS PELL ELIGIBLE WITH an Estimated Family Contribution [EFC] of $0, which is an indicator of the most needy Pell recipients;
- Student is in an Associates or Bachelors program;
- Student has completed one course successfully that started before March 2021 (a letter grade other than F or W); and
- An Academic Year allows for net registrations (NON-DROPPED COURSE) starting in either March, April, or May, AND STUDENT WAS NOT ACADEMICALLY DISSMISSED OR DISENROLLED AS OF 07/29/2021.
- The student did not receive HEERF II funding.
APUS identified 2,175 students who met the above criteria.
HEERF III Student Communications
APUS sent email notifications regarding the availability of HEERF III financial aid grants. Students were required to respond via a link provided in the email by no later than 11:59 PM EST on Thursday, 8/26/21. Students who selected the link were directed to a web page, which confirmed their certification, and provided information on how funds would be disbursed. The notifications included instructions regarding the appropriate uses of financial aid grants (e.g. any component of a student’s cost of attendance or for emergency costs that arise due to coronavirus). Students with questions were encouraged to contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 855-731-9218, Monday – Thursday, from 8 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Friday from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., EST.
The student email communications were sent as follows:
- August 11, 2021: Initial email sent to the eligible population.
- August 16, 2021: Reminder email to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgment.
- August 20, 2021: Reminder email to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgment.
- August 24, 2021: Final reminder email sent to students who had not provided certification and acknowledgement.
After the deadline had passed, the web page was updated with information that the timeframe for certifying eligibility for the grant had expired.
HEERF III Funding Summary
- As of August 27, 2021, APUS received 1,060 student certifications for HEERF III Funding.
- As of August 30, 2021, APUS disbursed a total of $313 to each student.
The total amount disbursed included 100% of the $330,991 allocated HEERF III funding combined with an APUS total contribution of $789 in institutional funding for a total of $331,780.
This is the final quarterly posting and covers all HEERF III funding expenditures.
Last Updated 10/8/21