Accreditation

The U.S. Department of Education formally recognizes accrediting commissions that meet all federal standards. Further, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) extends recognition to accrediting bodies and their institutions that meet established quality standards. Generally, accrediting bodies fall into three major categories: regional, national, and specialized/professional.

Accreditation within higher education is a voluntary, nongovernmental process that gives public recognition to institutions that meet certain published standards of academic and administrative quality. The purpose of accreditation is to assure the public as to the quality of an institution and its commitment to high standards through a system of continuous improvement.

APUS cannot guarantee that its credit will be accepted as transfer credit into another university. Accreditation does not provide automatic acceptance by an institution of credit earned at another institution, as acceptance of credit is always the prerogative of the receiving institution.

Regional Accreditation

American Public University System is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association (www.ncahlc.org, 312-263-0456). The Higher Learning Commission accredits degree-granting institutions located in a 19-state region, including West Virginia. The Higher Learning Commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and CHEA. View the APUS 2011 HLC Reaccreditation letter.

As an accredited institution, APUS is eligible to participate in federal educational entitlement programs such as military tuition assistance, government tuition reimbursement programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill, and many corporate education assistance programs.

Credits and degrees earned through APUS may be recognized for promotion, assignment, and position qualification standards within the military and federal government. For students transferring to other colleges, APUS credit is considered transfer eligible based on our accreditation, but it is up to each receiving school whether or not they will accept individual transfer credit for courses completed at APUS. APUS cannot guarantee that another school will accept our credit, as all transfer credit decisions are made by the receiving school. In addition, APUS has been granted approval by the Department of Education to participate in Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs.

Further information on recognition policies and standards may be found on the following web sites:

• U.S. Department of Education

• Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
  One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510
  Washington, DC 20036
  (202) 955-6126

• The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools
  230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
  Chicago, IL 60604
  (800) 621-7440

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Specialized Accreditation

In addition to institutional accreditation, APUS has obtained programmatic accreditation through appropriate governing organizations for specific academic programs. These specialized accreditations require a significant amount of self-study and presentation of evidence to satisfy the demanding requirements of each accrediting organization, and collectively demonstrate that APUS is focused on academic excellence and providing the best possible educational experience for its students. As a result, APUS has enhanced the curriculum for certain programs by implementing standards from an external accrediting organization for specific disciplines or fields of study.

Professional Recognition and Affiliation

For further information on accreditation, please contact the Office of Institutional Accreditation at Accreditation@apus.edu, Telephone: 304-724-3778, Fax 304-724-3779.