Sec Form 4 Filing - Braner Michael David @ AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC - 2023-05-19

FORM 4 Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person Braner Michael David 2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION INC [ APEI] 5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) X __ Director _____ 10% Owner _____ Officer (give title below) X __ Other (specify below) See Footnotes (Last) (First) (Middle) 757 THIRD AVENUE, 20TH FLOOR 3. Date of Earliest Transaction (MM/DD/YY) 05/19/2023 (Street) NEW YORK, NY10017 4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed (MM/DD/YY) 6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line) _____ Form filed by One Reporting Person __ X __ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person (City) (State) (Zip)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned 1.Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price Common Stock, par value $0.01 ( 1 ) 05/19/2023 A 12,738 ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) A $ 0 15,143 ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) D ( 2 ) ( 3 ) ( 4 ) Common Stock, par value $0.01 ( 1 ) 244,852 I By: 325 Capital Master Fund LP ( 5 ) Common Stock, par value $0.01 ( 1 ) 1,023,821 I By: 325 Capital LLC ( 6 )

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned ( e.g. , puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (MM/DD/YY) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (MM/DD/YY) 4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4, and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (MM/DD/YY) 7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4) Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships Director 10% Owner Officer Other Braner Michael David 757 THIRD AVENUE 20TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY10017 X See Footnotes 325 CAPITAL LLC 757 THIRD AVENUE 20TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY10017 See Footnotes FRIEDBERG DANIEL M. 757 THIRD AVENUE 20TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY10017 See Footnotes Shrivastava Anil K 757 THIRD AVENUE 20TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY10017 See Footnotes 325 Master Fund LP 757 THIRD AVENUE 20TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY10017 See Footnotes 325 Capital GP, LLC 757 THIRD AVENUE 20TH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY10017 See Footnotes Signatures /s/ Michael D. Braner 05/23/2023 Signature of Reporting Person Date 325 Capital LLC, By: /s/ Michael D. Braner, Name: Michael D. Braner, Title: Managing Member 05/23/2023 Signature of Reporting Person Date /s/ Daniel M. Friedberg 05/23/2023 Signature of Reporting Person Date /s/ Anil Shrivastava 05/23/2023 Signature of Reporting Person Date 325 Capital Master Fund LP, By: 325 Capital GP, LLC, its General Partner, /s/ Michael D. Braner, Name: Michael D. Braner, Title: Managing Member 05/23/2023 Signature of Reporting Person Date 325 Capital GP, LLC, By: /s/ Michael D. Braner, Name: Michael D. Braner, Title: Managing Member 05/23/2023 Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

( 1 )This Form 4 is being filed jointly by 325 Capital Master Fund LP, a Cayman Islands exempted limited partnership ("325 Master Fund"), 325 Capital GP, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company registered as a foreign partnership in the Cayman Islands ("325 Capital GP"), 325 Capital LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("325"), Michael Braner, a United States citizen, Daniel Friedberg, a United States citizen, and Anil Shrivastava, a United States citizen (collectively, the "Reporting Persons"). Each Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein except to the extent of his or its pecuniary interest therein, and this report shall not be deemed to be an admission that any Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of such securities for purposes of Section 16 or for any other purpose. ( 2 )Pursuant to the non-employee director compensation policy of American Public Education, Inc. (the "Issuer"), Mr. Braner received an annual award of restricted common stock of the Issuer having a value of $80,000 on the grant date. The shares vest on the earlier of the one year anniversary of the grant date and immediately prior to the Issuer's 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders. ( 3 )Mr. Braner serves on the Board as a representative of 325 and its affiliates, 325 is entitled to receive the direct economic interest in securities granted to Mr. Braner by the Issuer in respect of Mr. Braner's Board position. Mr. Braner disclaims beneficial ownership of the Issuer's securities to which this report relates and at no time has Mr. Braner had any economic interest in such securities except any indirect economic interest through 325 and its affiliates. ( 4 )The securities described in footnote (2) represents securities in which 325 has all of the direct economic interest. Each of Messrs. Braner, Friedberg and Shrivastava are Managing Members of 325. As a result of these relationships, 325 and Messrs. Braner, Friedberg and Shrivastava may be deemed to beneficially own the securities owned directly by 325. ( 5 )Securities owned directly by 325 Master Fund. 325 Capital GP is the general partner of 325 Master Fund, 325 is the investment manager to 325 Master Fund, and each of Messrs. Braner, Friedberg and Shrivastava are Managing Members of 325. As a result of these relationships, all of the Reporting Persons may be deemed to beneficially own the securities owned directly by 325 Master Fund. ( 6 )Securities owned directly by certain separately managed accounts ("SMAs") that are deemed beneficially owned by 325 as a result of 325 serving as the investment manager to such SMAs. Each of Messrs. Braner, Friedberg and Shrivastava are Managing Members of 325. As a result of these relationships, they may be deemed to beneficially own the securities beneficially owned by 325.

Remarks: Mr. Braner, a managing member of 325, is a director of the Issuer. For purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, each of the Reporting Persons (other than Mr. Braner) may be deemed a director by deputization by virtue of its or his representation on the Board of Directors of the Issuer.

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).

** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).

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