CHARLES TOWN, W.Va., Oct. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- American Public University System (APUS) today announced that it has been reaccredited by The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) for 10 years, with the next reaffirmation scheduled for 2030 – 2031. The reaccreditation reinforces APUS's high academic standards in providing online higher education to learners of all backgrounds, and also accepts APUS into the Open Pathway, a track reserved for institutions accredited longer than 10 years.

"We're proud to earn the reaffirmation of our accreditation and very pleased to officially become an Open Pathway institution. This shows the quality and maturity of our University, including the strength of our robust programs and proven online delivery model," said APUS Provost Dr. Vernon C. Smith. "Our faculty and staff are deeply committed to ensuring the best possible learning outcomes, and APUS will continue to build on our strong student-first approach for many years to come."

The reaccreditation, granted after a rigorous peer review, evaluation, and site visit, comes as APUS celebrates its 30^th anniversary. The Open Pathway is unique in that its improvement component, the Quality Initiative, affords institutions the opportunity to pursue improvement projects that meet their current needs and aspirations. HLC accreditation – which spans all degree levels and online offerings – validates the quality of the institution as a whole by evaluating specific criteria including academic offerings, governance and administration, integrity, mission, finances, and teaching.

The HLC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. A private, non-profit institutional accreditation agency, the HLC accredits approximately 1,000 colleges and universities that have a home base in

one of 19 states.

In addition to this reaccreditation, several APUS schools and programs have specialty accreditations, including:

• APUS's Dr. Wallace E. Boston School of Business, from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP);
• The Bachelor in Nursing (BSN) program, from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE);
• The Master of Public Health Program, from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH);
• The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program, from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE); 
• The Fire Science and Emergency and Disaster Management programs, from the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC);
• The Bachelor of Science in Health Information Management (BS HIM) program, from the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM). 

For more info on all of APUS's accreditations, visit here. For more info on HLC, visit here.

About American Public University System
American Public University System, recipient of the Online Learning Consortium's (OLC) Gomory Award for Quality Online Education and five-time recipient of OLC's Effective Practice Award, offers more than 200 online degree and certificate programs through American Military University, the #1 provider of higher education to the U.S. military and veterans,* and American Public University. Over 110,000 alumni worldwide have benefited from APUS's accessible, relevant curriculum and flexible online delivery model. APUS is a wholly owned subsidiary of American Public Education, Inc. (Nasdaq: APEI). For more information, visit www.apus.edu.

*Based on FY 2019 Department of Defense tuition assistance and Veterans Administration student enrollment data, as reported by Military Times, 2020.

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SOURCE American Public University System