Military Student FAQ

Yes. AIU has established a grant for active, reserve, inactive, and their immediate families* with the opportunity to attend a degree program of study at AIU. To be eligible for the Freedom Grant and waived application fee, a candidate must be accepted for admission to the University and allow for verification of their military status (or for family members, the relationship to the enrolled student) and complete the Freedom/AIU Veterans Grant Attestation form.

The conditions are as follows:

• The Freedom Grant is used exclusively toward program charges.
• The grant is awarded proportionately over each session in the program.
• Qualifying students are active and drilling members of the U.S. military personnel and their immediate families.
• Candidates must apply and be accepted for admission to the University to be eligible to receive the grant.
• All grants are applied as a credit to the student's account, and no cash payments will be awarded to the student.
• The grant is non-transferrable and non-substitutable and cannot be combined with any Education Partner, AIU Veterans Grant or AIU Online Lifelong Learning Grant. The grant with the greatest benefit to the student will be applied.

Students selected for membership verification must provide documentation before the grant is applied. Those that are not able to provide documentation will also be required to pay the application fee.

*Immediate family members: Spouse (life partner) or dependent children only. Siblings, cousins, etc. are not considered an immediate family member.

In addition, AIU has established a 5% grant for all honorably discharged** Veterans of the U.S. military and their immediate family members* to assist in providing the opportunity to attend a degree program of study at AIU Online. This grant amount applies to all levels and programs of study. To be eligible for the AIU Veterans Grant and waived application fee, a candidate must be accepted for admission to the University, allow for the verification of their military discharge via a DD-214 Member-4 or comparable government document (or that of their spouse or parent/legal guardian), and complete the Freedom/AIU Veterans Grant Attestation form.

The conditions are as follows:

• The AIU Veterans Grant is used exclusively towards prior or current program charges.
• The grant is awarded proportionately over each session in the program.
• Qualifying students are honorably discharged Veterans of the U.S. military and their immediate family members.
• Candidates must apply and be accepted for admission to the University to be eligible to receive the grant.
• All grants are applied as a credit to the student's account, and no cash payments will be awarded to the student.
• The grant is non-transferrable and non-substitutable and cannot be combined with any Education Partner, Freedom Grant or AIU Online Lifelong Learning Grant. The grant with the greatest benefit to the student will be applied.

Students selected for membership verification must provide documentation before the grant being applied. Documentation must show effective date of membership prior to the first day of class. Those that are not able to provide documentation will also be required to pay the application fee.

*Immediate family members: Spouse (life partner) or dependent children only, as defined by the Department of Education's definition of dependency. Siblings, cousins, etc. are not considered an immediate family member.

**Certain exceptions apply

NOTE: These grants are non-transferable and nonsubstitutable. Interested students should contact the AIU Admissions or AIU Financial Aid Departments for additional application information.

Yes. AIU participates in the Montgomery G.I. Bill program and accepts many federal and private aid programs. AIU Financial Aid Advisors can assist you in obtaining all the benefits available to you.

Veterans who are unsure of their eligibility should contact the Veterans Administration. Eligible students must maintain satisfactory academic progress in which they enroll to continue receiving VA benefits.

Certainly. AIU understands that military personnel are frequently deployed and transferred. If you are unsure or know that you will not be able to continue your coursework for the length of your deployment or while enroute to your new assignment, just contact your Student Advisor for further guidance and support.

Your military training, occupations and experience are evaluated by ACE (American Council on Education), which recommends awards of semester hours. Our degree programs are designed under a quarter hour system, and your credits are converted to this system. When you apply for enrollment, a Advisor will prepare a degree program that can maximize your training and experience.

Absolutely not. The university will evaluate all of your military training and experience for the consideration of possible transfer credit whether you are on Active Duty, Inactive, Retired, or Separated from any branch of service, including the National Guard and Reserves.

The university will evaluate any previously completed college coursework (C or better) for transfer credit, when applicable. We will also evaluate any certifications (e.g., MSCE, MCP, etc; and DSST examinations) and work experience prior to, during or after your military service.

It varies. Each military person will have varying amounts of transferable credit based on years of service and specific training. However, a survey completed by ACE in 1998 found the average number of academic credits awarded was 14 semester hours, which equates to about 21 quarter credits.

Your Prior Learning Assessment Specialist will help you get the most credit for your program and develop the best personal degree plan so that you have an opportunity to achieve your educational needs and goals.

DSSTs are the DANTES Subject Standardized Tests that provide another avenue to demonstrate proficiency in a subject area in a non-traditional way. DSSTs are offer in a variety of subject areas, such as Business, Physical Science, Humanities, Social Science and Applied Technologies.

Military personnel can take DSSTs free of charge. Talk to your Education Service Officer or Test Control Officer for more information and testing procedures. Study materials and practice examinations are available at most of these offices.