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Federal Student Aid (FSA)

Home > tuition-and-financing > Paying for School > Federal Student Aid (FSA)

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 (FAFSASM) to apply for federal aid.

Helpful FAFSA Tip

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 following Federal Pell Grants:

  • Federal Pell Grant: Based on need as determined by the FAFSA for each award year. Available to eligible undergraduate students. The amount you are eligible for depends on your FAFSA Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and enrollment status.
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant: For students whose parent or guardian died as a result of military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11.
  • Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship: For students whose parent or guardian died while serving as a police officer, firefighter, or other public safety officer (as defined by section 1204 of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796b)). Available to Pell eligible, undergraduate students with certifying documentation.

The university participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program. You must meet eligibility requirements for FSA and be enrolled at least half-time for this program.

  • Direct Subsidized Loans: For eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need.
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loans: For eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. You do not have to demonstrate financial need.
  • 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. You do not have to demonstrate financial need.

Get the information you need to manage repayment of your federal student loans.

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.

  1. Understand Eligibility
    Start by visiting the FSA StudentAid.gov website to learn about basic eligibility requirements.
  2. 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.
  3. Register for Courses
    During course registration, you will be prompted to select the month you plan to begin your FSA academic year.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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. You may also authorize the school to hold your credit balance for an academic year. For Doctoral students contact [email protected] for additional information.

We use BankMobile, a higher education financial services company, to provide a faster, more convenient way to send your credit balance refunds. Credit balances for Doctoral students will be issued via check to your mailing address.

After you establish an academic year, you will receive instructions from BankMobile 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.

Some students who will receive FSA may be randomly chosen by the Department of Education for verification to ensure your FAFSA is complete and accurate. FAFSA information is compared with financial documents or forms the school must collect from you. You will be notified if you have been chosen for verification and this process must be completed prior to your Federal Student Aid (FSA) funding distribution.
On case-by-case basis, the university may administer professional judgment to make adjustments to the cost of attendance, dependency status, or the values of the data elements required to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of an individual eligible applicant with special circumstances. As these circumstances are not the norm; documentation will be collected to support any adjustments. If you believe you have extenuating circumstances that may change your eligibility, please contact [email protected].