ArmyIgnitED

We welcome soldiers eager to advance their knowledge and pursue their educational goals through American Public University (APU), supporting students across active duty, Army National Guard, and other military services.

ArmyIgnitED is here to facilitate your education journey by providing access to Federal Tuition Assistance (TA), financial assistance, and funding for approved courses and training programs, with tuition often paid directly to the school.

Looking to get started using ArmyIgnitED? Here are a few quick steps to help you request tuition assistance, establish your account using your Common Access Card, and begin the application process for your classes.

Quick Steps

Apply to American Public University (APU) if you have not already applied and been admitted to your degree or credential program.
Set up your ArmyIgnitED account using your Common Access Card to access the system and manage your tuition assistance (TA) requests.
Set up your education goal in ArmyIgnitED with an approved evaluated degree plan and student agreement to align with your educational goals.
Register for your course(s) through APU and confirm your class details, including course number, start date, and end date.
Submit a tuition assistance request (TAR) in ArmyIgnitED that matches your registered course(s) exactly, following all application process instructions.
a. The course number, course start date, and course end date in ArmyIgnitED must match your APU registration EXACTLY. If you are taking an 8-week course with APU, you must request TA for the correct 8-week term dates to ensure funding is approved.
b. Ensure correct supervisor or commander’s representative is indicated on your ArmyIgnitED account for the TA approval process.
Your TAR will be submitted and sent to the Army for approval through the Department of Defense (DoD) system.
Approved TARs are automatically processed and sent over to APU. Allow one to two business days for APU to receive and post your request in your student account.
APU will invoice the Army a minimum of nine weeks after the course start date, with tuition and eligible fees reflected accordingly.
The Army will issue payment to APU after invoicing, with tuition typically paid directly to the school as part of the financial assistance program.

Need additional support? Contact your education center, connect with a counselor for guidance, or visit additional resources to help complete your ArmyIgnitED process.

Getting Started in ArmyIgnitED

ArmyIgnitED Account Creation & Education Goal

1. Create your ArmyIgnitED Account:

Create your ArmyIgnitED account using your .mil email address to access tuition assistance (TA) and other financial assistance resources.

You will need a Common Access Card (CAC) to log in and manage your account within the ArmyIgnitED system.

If you haven’t used TA before, you will need to complete TA 101 training as part of the application process. For questions or assistance with this requirement, contact your Army base education center, counselor, or submit a help ticket through ArmyIgnitED for support.

2. Set up your Education Goal in ArmyIgnitED

Institution: American Military University (AMU) Program level – indicate the program level to match your enrolled program and approved evaluated degree plan at APU Program – indicate the degree or certificate program to match your enrolled program and educational goals.

Registering for Courses and Requesting TA

1. Register for your courses through your APU ecampus, selecting Military Tuition Assistance as your payment type to ensure funding is applied correctly.

2. Save your registration confirmation so you can reference course details when you request tuition assistance. You can access the registration confirmation page for previously registered courses in the Academic Plan & Forms tab on your APU ecampus account.

Note: While it is allowed to use Title IV Federal Student Aid (such as FSA loans and Pell Grant) with federal tuition assistance, you must select Military Tuition Assistance as your payment type on the Select Payment Type screen during course registration to comply with DoD guidelines.

Need help registering for courses? Contact our Registrar at 703-396-6867 or [email protected] for guidance and support.

3. Submit a TA request in ArmyIgnitED, ensuring the course number(s), course start date, and course end date match your APU registration EXACTLY so your request can be approved and processed without delays.

Steps for Submitting your TA Request:

From your ArmyIgnitED dashboard, locate “Active Education Goals” and then select “Apply for Funding” to begin the tuition assistance request process.
Verify “Supervisor and Personal Contact Information”. Click the pencil icon to edit any information that needs to be updated.
- If all information is correct, click “Verify and Proceed”. If information needs to be updated, please edit your account details.
- If all information is correct, click "Verify and Proceed."
Acknowledge the student agreement under "User Agreement" – read fully, check ALL boxes to agree to the conditions, and then click "I Agree Continue."
Verify your current education center, identify if deployed, then select "Next" to continue the application process.
Verify education institution, campus, and institutional student ID:
- Education Institution: American Military University (AMU)
- Campus: American Military University – Main Campus
- Institutional Student ID: This should be a seven-digit number (some older student IDs may be shorter). This is NOT always the same as your login.
- Click "Next" once all information is correct and reflected accurately in the system.
Select your EXACT course start date and end date. (You can verify accurate dates using your registration confirmation, located in the APU ecampus Academic Plan & Forms tab.)
- Each start date will have both 8- and 16-week options.
- You must select the EXACT dates of your course. If you are enrolled in an 8-week class, you must select the correct 8-week term dates.
- The Army will not pay tuition assistance (TA) if the dates do not match your registered courses.
- If you do not see your term dates, you are likely outside the window to request TA. Do NOT proceed with submitting requests for incorrect dates, as funding will not be approved.
Add your enrolled course by clicking on "Add Course."
- Select your desired course by clicking on the "+."
- Verify the course information. A Location and Cost Per Credit must be selected to proceed.
  - Location: DL/Online
  - Cost Per Credit: $250
  - Select “Add Course”
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click "Submit." Do NOT add multiple courses on the same TA request, as each request must be submitted separately.
You will then receive confirmation that your TA request has been submitted and processed. Click "Finish." (Note: you have the option to print your TA request for your records.)

4. Your Tuition Assistance Request (TAR) will be sent to Army for approval. TARS will be sent for command-approval first.

It is your responsibility to follow up with your chain of command or their designated representative to ensure they approve your TA in time.
Warning: ArmyIgnitED will automatically delete any TARs that are not command-approved 5 days prior to the start date of class.
Command-approved TARs will then either be automatically approved or routed to an Army Education Counselor for final authorization.

5. Your approved TAR will be automatically sent to APU. Please allow one to two business days for processing and posting to your student account.

a. If your approved TAR matches your course registration, we will confirm it in your APU ecampus and you will receive a confirmation email.

b. If your approved TAR does not match your course, or if additional documents or corrections are needed, we will contact you via the primary email address on your account with further instructions and support.

FAQs

Getting Started, Education Goal, and Evaluated Degree Plan

Will I have to go into ArmyIgnitED after the initial sign-up?

Yes, you will need to access your ArmyIgnitED account regularly to request tuition assistance (TA) for each new enrollment or registration, upload your evaluated degree plan (Academic / Degree Plan in your ecampus), and update your education goal if you change your degree or credential program.

If you are new to APU, you should wait to upload your evaluated student degree plan to your ArmyIgnitED account until your initial transfer credit evaluation is complete. Students are allowed to complete up to 6 SH before being required to upload an approved evaluated degree plan to request additional TA funding.

What is an Education Goal?

Your education goal is how you identify and establish your academic and educational goals within ArmyIgnitED by selecting your degree or program of study at APU. During this application process, you may also provide an estimate of your transfer credit award.

Once submitted, your education goal must be reviewed and approved by an education center counselor to ensure it aligns with Army and DoD requirements.

What is an Evaluated Degree Plan (EDP) and where do I find it in my APU ecampus?

The evaluated degree plan (EDP) is your personalized academic plan that outlines the requirements needed to complete your program, including courses required, courses completed, grades, and transfer credit applied. This document is required for tuition assistance approval and should only be submitted after your transfer credit evaluation is complete.

To locate your Academic Plan in your APU ecampus, follow these instructions:

Log into your APU ecampus account
Select “Register” at the top of the page
Click on the link that says “Download Degree Plan” (military students must download this for TA approval)
Save the downloaded document to your files

You must use the official download link to ensure your degree plan includes your name, student ID, and required information reflected for Army approval.

If the evaluated degree plan is not uploaded during education goal creation in ArmyIgnitED, you will need to provide the document to your education center so they can upload it and facilitate the approval process.

Do I need my Evaluated Degree Plan (EDP) in ArmyIgnitED before I can use TA?

No. The Army allows soldiers and students to take up to six credit hours toward a new education goal before they are required to provide the evaluated degree plan in ArmyIgnitED. This allows you to begin your education journey and participate in courses while your transcripts are being received and evaluated for transfer credit.

If you do not upload your evaluated degree plan when creating your education goal, you will be required to email the document to your Army education center or attach it to a help desk case in ArmyIgnitED to continue receiving tuition assistance (TA) funding.

Reporting Grades and Graduation

How will my grades be reported to the Army?

The Military Registrations team will submit grades to ArmyIgnitED two weeks after the course end date, ensuring they are reflected accurately in your student account for tuition assistance (TA) records.

What if my grade was changed for a course? How will that be reported?

Grade changes will be processed and updated by the Military Registrations team. Please email [email protected] if your course’s final grade is changed in your APU account. The updated grades will then be submitted and reflected in your ArmyIgnitED account.

How will my course extension be reported to the Army?

If you are on a course extension, “I” grades will be reported and updated after the final grade is posted to your APU account. The Military Registrations team submits updates weekly in ArmyIgnitED to ensure completion records are accurate

When will my graduation be reported?

The Military Registrations Team will upload an official electronic transcript to confirm degree completion after each conferral date: Feb. 1, April 1, June 1, Aug. 1, Oct. 1, and Dec. 1. Please allow 48 hours for your degree and credential completion to be processed and reflected in your ArmyIgnitED account.

Course Drops, Withdrawals, and Invoicing

When will APU invoice the Army for my courses?

APU submits tuition invoices to the Army no sooner than nine weeks after the course start date. This allows time for any adjustments, such as drops or withdrawals, to ensure accurate funding and minimize refunds under the tuition assistance program.

Invoices for withdrawn courses where tuition is still owed are submitted during the regular invoice cycle and processed accordingly.

$0 invoices for dropped courses or courses that do not match an APU registration are typically submitted outside the normal process. These are handled early to facilitate the reallocation of TA funds back to the student’s fiscal year funding account in ArmyIgnitED.

How do I drop or withdraw from a course?

To drop or withdraw, submit the appropriate request form in your APU ecampus by navigating to the Academic Plan & Forms tab and selecting the Course Drop/Withdrawal Request Form under University Forms. Complete all required steps and follow instructions until you receive confirmation of completion.

If you drop your course before the start date listed on your Tuition Assistance Request (TAR), you should also log into ArmyIgnitED and cancel the TA request. Failure to do so may delay the funds being returned to your account for future use.

How will dropped courses be reported and invoiced?

For ArmyIgnitED tuition assistance purposes, a “dropped” course is one where a student registers with Military TA as the payment type, the request is approved, and the course is dropped before the deadline (typically before the end of the first week or due to non-attendance).
APU will report dropped courses to the Army around the 15th of the month corresponding with the course start date.

If you drop a course prior to the start date on the TAR, you must also cancel the TA request in ArmyIgnitED to ensure funding is properly reallocated.

If the TAR includes multiple courses, do NOT cancel the request within seven days of the start date, as this will cancel funding for all courses on that request.

If a TAR does not match any registered course, you should cancel it before the start date. If not, APU will need to manually identify and process the request, which may delay funding being returned to your account.

How will course withdrawals be reported and invoiced?

A withdrawal occurs when a student begins a class and then withdraws after the first week. Withdrawals are subject to the APU tuition refund schedule outlined in the Student Handbook.

A “W” grade will be submitted to the Army and reflected in ArmyIgnitED, typically within two weeks after the course end date.

Withdrawn courses are invoiced during the standard tuition assistance invoice cycle. APU will attempt to invoice only the amount owed based on the refund schedule to avoid returning funds to the Army.

A withdrawal is not considered successful course completion. While the Army may still pay the tuition owed, students may be subject to recoupment actions. For questions about repayment or financial responsibility, contact your Army education center or counselor for guidance and support.

This guidance is subject to change as additional details and information about the system is shared by Army Education Services.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.