The least expensive undergraduate "Bible college" credits

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by michaelb, Jun 30, 2006.

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  1. michaelb

    michaelb New Member

    Hi everyone,

    It's my first post on this board. Could anyone here direct me to any Bible colleges that offer the LEAST EXPENSIVE undergraduate credits in Bible or Theology through distance learning? I want to collect up to 24 undergraduate credits for later transfers. Any ideas?
     
  2. foobar

    foobar Member

    be careful what you wish for . . .
     
  3. CoachTurner

    CoachTurner Member

    The least expensive that I know of is Nations University (http://www.nationsu.org) at the mind boggling cost of $100 per year.

    The transferability is exceptionally low though since they hold no accreditation.

    Probably not a good choice for someone wanting to transfer the credit to an RA or even NA school. Not a bad deal at all for someone who wants a degree in religion and doesn't need it to be accredited.
     
  4. Abner

    Abner Well-Known Member

    I don't know if this will help, but consider FLET.

    http://flet.edu/

    They are NA by DETC.

    Abner :)
     
  5. laferney

    laferney Active Member

    If accreditation doesn't matter (can earn 87 bible school college credits for $440.00) go to:
    http://www.amesbible.org/

    From their site:
    "Ames Bible College Free Program:

    Join our free bible college program to get all 22 courses absolutely free and receive a .pdf Certificate of Completion when finished.
    Simply enroll in the free program and opt-out of receiving credit for your courses.

    OR

    If you change your mind, you can switch your preference by paying the administrative fees at a later date, and receive credit at any time for the free courses taken, thereby receiving the 87 transferable credits. Once you pay for your credits, they are then transferable to Ames Christian University towards a BA degree in Biblical Studies. When you are finished you can simply end your studies as a bible college graduate or go on to earn a B.A.
    OR:
    Join our Low-Cost Accredited Program and receive a printed Certificate of Completion with seal and a printed course transcript after completing all 22 courses. This program is only $20.00 per course and you can pay as you go or pay in full.

    Upon completion of all 22 courses, you will receive:

    A beautifully printed certificate with a gold Ames Bible College official seal which comes in a certificate folder and is suitable for framing.

    A printed transcript with 87 credits and the right to request us to forward your transcript to other colleges.

    The ability to transfer to Ames Christian University to take 11 additional courses and receive a Bachelor of Biblical Studies (BBS) Degree certificate and transcript.

    The satisfaction of knowing that you have completed a Biblical Program and increased your knowledge to effectively communicate this knowledge with confidence and power to reap souls into the Kingdom of God and partake in the end time harvest.

    Once you complete the Ames Bible College Accredited Study Program, you will have 87 credits towards your B.A. Degree if you choose to pursue it. You then will be able to transfer to Ames Christian University for the remaining 11 courses worth 33 credits. Upon completion of these courses, you will have a total of 120 credits and will then have earned a Bachelor of Biblical Studies in the major concentration you choose. (Once you

    have graduated from Ames Bible College, you are not required to proceed to ACU for the additional credits or
    for a BBS degree. You may simply earn the 87 credits and receive the certificate and transcript and go on to
    do whatever God's will is for your life and future with our congratulations and blessings!!)"
     
  6. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    Eugne Bible College is the least expensive, accredited school I've found. They are nationally accredited by the ABHE. Their credits will transfer into RA schools like Liberty and Moody. I've taken a few classes with them. They run about $225 per 3 hour class. They offer about 90 courses via distance, ranging from general education to religion.

    Pug
     
  7. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    If you are looking to eventually transfer these credits into an accredited school, stay away from Ames and nations and other schools that don't hold recgnized accreditation. The least expensive path to a degree in Biblical studies would be to take your core, general ed classes by CLEP or through Clovis Community College. Take a bunch of your bible based classes through Eugene Bible College or Johnson Bible College, then transfer it all to Moody where you can do the final 30 hours of work. Moody is RA, they accept NA transfer credit from Eugene, and they accept CLEP. There is no cheaper way.

    CLEP - usually a $75 testing fee
    Clovis (RA) - $110 per 3 semester hours
    Eugene (NA) - $225 per 3 semester hours
    Johnson (RA) - $330 per 3 semester hours
    Moody (RA) - $477 per 3 semester hours. Text books are included if you choose the print-based courses.


    Pug
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 2, 2006
  8. TCord1964

    TCord1964 New Member

    Liberty also accepts transfer credit from NA institutions.
     
  9. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member


    Yes, I believe I mentioned Liberty in my initial post as being an RA institution that would accept NA credit. I listed Moody above because they are much less expensive than Liberty. Moody runs about $477 for a 3 hour course and that includes the text books if you go print-based. Liberty runs about $750 for a 3 hour course and that does not include books.

    Don't get me wrong, I really like Liberty a lot. But if you're going after a regionally accredited undergrad degree in Biblical Studies, Moody is the way to go as far as expense. That said, Liberty offers an MA in religion for only $180 per semester hour ($540 per course). That's really inexpensive for an RA grad program.

    Pug
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 2, 2006
  10. badproduce

    badproduce New Member

    I'll agree that Moody is cheaper on the
    credit hour basis,but they do not have
    a federal financial aid program.No pell
    grants,loans,etc.But Liberty does.
     
  11. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member

    Very true. But if you only needed to complete 30 hours with Moody, you'd be spending about $4700, including books. Depending on the speed one took the courses, you might be able to pay as you go. If not, Liberty would be a great second option. Though more expensive, you could still transfer in all the CLEP, Clovis, and Eugene credit, then borrow the needed $7500 (plus books) to complete the needed 30 hours to graduate. Liberty offers a lot of its courses in an accelerated 8-week format now as well.

    Pug
     
  12. wantolearn

    wantolearn New Member

    Hi,

    I would like to thank pugbelly for the comparison and research. My research lead me to select Moody over Liberty because of the pricing. Also, Eugene Bible College & Johnson Bible College are nationally accreditted members of the ABHE.

    Now pugbelly are you sure that the credits taken from both of these colleges will transfer over to Moody? I need to know this because I was going to enroll into Johnson Bible College first then try to transfer the credits to a RA bible university.

    Can anyone provide a written reference? Any experiences?

    thanks in advance.
     
  13. pugbelly

    pugbelly New Member


    Every college has the right to accept or deny credit transfer. You should always contact the receiving university in advance to be sure. That said, Johnson is regionally accredited - credits earned there will transfer to anywhere. Moody's credit transfer policy is to accept credits earned at schools that are either nationally or regionally accredited. Moody is regionally accredited, but also nationally accredited through the ABHE, the same accreditor as Eugene Bible College. I was, at one time, considering attending Moody. I contacted the Moody admissions office and asked them specifically about transferring credit from Eugene. I was told, "absolutely yes."

    Don't overlook Clovis Community College for your general eds...they are by far the least expensive of all the schools.

    You'll still need to be sure that the courses you take elsewhere fit into Moody's program, of course. Print out the course-by-course requirements for the BA from Moody, then make sure that every class you take elsewhere matches up either as a core class or elective credit. I suggest you take as many general ed courses as possible from Eugene or Clovis Community College because if memory serves, Moody doesn't offer everything needed to satisfy the general ed requirements. Also, if memory serves, some of Moody's required courses are 4-hours each. Be sure to take those at Moody. For example, if Moody requires Old Testament Survey for 4 hours, and you take Old Testament Survey elsewhere for 3 hours, your 3 hour class will not satisfy the requirement.

    Good luck! Keep us updated on your progress. I liked Eugene's course materials and structure and have been curious about Johnson.

    Pug
     
  14. russ22

    russ22 New Member

    Try Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary

    www.bmats.edu

    Good rate for for SACS and ATS accreditation.
     
  15. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Dr. Mac Lynn, the Chancellor of NationsUniversity, is a personal acqaintance of mine and I highly recommend their programs. I believe they ask for a $100 registration fee per year for students in the States, so they can continue enrolling students overseas, which is their main objective.

    I believe you shouldn't have any trouble transferring NationsUniversity credits to schools associated with churches of Christ, Disciples of Christ and Christian Churches. However, ask, seek and knock first.

    Dave
     
  16. chislev

    chislev New Member

  17. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

    Re: Seminary Extension

    This is an interesting option for students who want to study within the doctrinal emphases of the Southern Baptists; it has DETC accreditation and seems extremely affordable. It seems that the fees are determined by local extension centers, so they aren't very accessible on the website. At least, I couldn't find the fee listing.

    Dave
     
  18. chislev

    chislev New Member

  19. Dave Wagner

    Dave Wagner Active Member

  20. cframe

    cframe New Member

    Low Cost Bible Degree

    I'd like to resurrect this thread and see what others have found for low-cost Bible Courses that are accredited.

    Also, any thoughts on Global University?

    I am searching for options for a local church that wants to start a "Study Center" with internship opportunities all leading to a low cost 4-year degree so students can pursue seminary if they choose.

    Thanks,
    Cheri
     

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