American World University (AWU) is an unaccredited institution offering post-secondary education programs by distance learning.
[2] In 1990, Maxine Asher founded AWU, which operated out of a Rapid City, South Dakota, office until 2000, when an increase in Iowa standards for post-secondary institutions led it to relocate to Pascagoula, Mississippi.
[7] As part of its services, AWU claims to offer people the opportunity to earn college credits based life experience and work, and to take courses at home through distance education.
"[10] According to the article, Michael Lambert, the executive director of the Washington, D.C.–based Distance Education and Training Council said Asher applied for accreditation for AWU to his organization in 1996.
[10] The same article related the experiences of a student named John Shaw, who he says he received specific assurances from Asher that the master's degree he was seeking would be acknowledged in Saudi Arabia.