General Admission Documentation Requirements

Determining Required Documents

Students may locate their Academic Goal and highest level of education achieved in the table below and note the official documents required to complete their student record.

How to Track Documents

The Document Log can be viewed by clicking Document Log under the Academic Plan & Records dropdown at the top of a student's ecampus.

The online Document Log in the student portal will list the required documentation needed to complete general admission to APUS. Some document requirements may not appear until a student's initial admission application has been reviewed. Also, any additional documents that are indicated on the Transfer Credit Application will not be listed until after the student's Transfer Credit Application has been submitted.

• If a student sees a status of Student Action Needed they need to take some action in order for this document to be received.
• Students will see a received date next to the name of a document once it has been received.
• Students will receive an auto-email to their email address on record whenever a document is posted as received to this list.
• Due to the volume of documents received each day, we are not able to honor requests to call a student when a document arrives.
• If a student listed an accredited college or university on their Admission Application or Transfer Credit Application, we are unable to remove the entry from their Document Log until we have confirmed with their previous institution that they do not have a student record at that institution

Transcript Release Authorization Form

If a student submits a Transfer Credit Application, they will also need to send in their signed Transcript Release Authorization (TRA) Forms. The TRA forms allow the Document Services Department to contact most previous colleges in the United States to obtain transcripts on a student's behalf, provided the college accepts third-party transcript requests. If the outside institution does not allow third-party requests, we will contact the student with information on how to request a transcript. If a student chooses to send official transcripts themselves, the TRA is not required and will be waived when the last transcript required is received.

Document Mailing Address

Please have any transcripts or other documents for a student's admission record sent to:

American Public University System
ATTN: Document Services
303 West 3rd Avenue
Ranson, WV 25438

Admission Document Policies

Registration Eligibility

• Undergraduate Students: A student must submit all required documentation within 8 weeks of starting their first course or they will be blocked from future registration. However, the student will NOT be dropped from any current registrations solely for missing the 8-week deadline.
• Master's Students: If a student enrolls in a master's level program, graduate certificate, or graduate non-degree-seeking program they must provide documentation of their undergraduate bachelor’s or higher degree conferral from an institution whose accreditation is recognized by CHEA. A student will not be eligible to register for courses until they have demonstrated conferral of an undergraduate a bachelor’s degree or higher and any additional admission requirements.
  • A student may provide an unofficial graduate or bachelor’s diploma, transcript, or official letter of pending graduation in a bachelor’s or higher degree to their admissions representative for review. Once the admissions representative reviews the diploma, transcript, or official letter, a student may be permitted to register for courses, provided their selected program does not have any additional admission requirements. A student must submit official transcripts within 8 weeks of starting their first course or they will be blocked from future registration. However, the student will NOT be dropped from any current registrations solely for missing the 8-week deadline.
  • If a student completed a bachelor’s or master’s degree with APUS, they will not be required to provide an official transcript to enter into a graduate program with the university, but they may be asked to provide additional documentation based upon their program of study.
• Paper Transcript Requirements: All official college transcripts for admission and TCE must be sent to APUS from the issuing institution and be received in sealed envelopes. No faxed transcripts or transcripts with envelopes that have been opened by the student will be accepted, even for temporary purposes. Paper transcripts must be printed on official tamper-proof paper and be received in our office inside their original sealed envelopes to be considered official.
• Electronic Transcript Requirements: Electronic transcripts are considered official if they are delivered by the original granting institution through a secured website.
• Degree Completion Letters: Letters showing degree completion and/or transcripts with no degree conferral are not acceptable for admission.
• Admission Status: Students will not have a COMPLETE admission status on their record until all documents listed in their document log have been received.
• Document Ownership: Once a student submits a document for admission or for transfer credit, it is considered a permanent part of their student record and the property of American Public University System. We will not return any admission documents to the student.