Focus 2: In order to insure a basic level of quality, the practice of accreditation arose in the United States as a means of conducting non-governmental, peer evaluation of educational institutions and programs. Private educational associations of regional or national scope have adopted criteria reflecting the qualities of a sound educational program and have developed procedures for evaluating institutions or programs to determine whether or not they are operating at [basic levels of quality].

 

God in His sovereignty has made this web location the  most sought after site for the term "Christian Accreditation."  Why???

Have you ever asked, why is tuition so expensive?  Tuition costs are driven by United States Department of Education (United States Department of Education) accreditation requirements.  The traditional United States Department of Education view is that quality education is specifically related to renown professors, state-of-the art buildings and facilities, financial endowments, national and international influence, philosophical diversity, and similarly related criteria.  United States Department of Education “recognized” accrediting agencies must incorporate these considerations into their assessments of schools and colleges, or they risk their United States Department of Education certification. 

Focus 1: Ironically, the United States Department of Education is very clear about accreditation.  It is a process where peers assess their institutions to ensure a "basic" level of quality.  The government education web site states: 

 

 Link to Government web site: The government continues:  

Focus 3: Accreditation [does not] provide automatic acceptance by an institution of credit earned at another institution, nor does it give assurance of acceptance of graduates by employers. Acceptance of students or graduates  is always the prerogative of the receiving institution or employer. For these reasons, besides ascertaining the accredited status of a school or  program, students should take additional measures to determine, prior to  enrollment, whether or not their educational goals will be met through  attendance at a particular institution. These measures should include  inquiries to institutions to which transfer might be desired or to prospective  employers and, if possible, personal inspection of the institution at which  enrollment is contemplated.

Focus 5: Clearly, A3CEES believes in qualitative delivery systems.   However,  A3CEES focus is concentrated on delivery.  Based on a school’s objectives as stated in media such as catalogs and related instruments, does the school deliver?  And is the outcome the same as what the general public expects of a similar school.   Any objective observer recognizes that regardless of accreditation, outcomes are widely different among schools and colleges. There are those who recognize the major success schools have accomplished without United States Department of Education recognition.  There are also those who believe that education  is compromised by institutions without United States Department of Education recognition.  

However, the burning question for Biblical institutions of higher learning is not whether the philosophy of education is being compromised.  The question is, “whether the Commission of Jesus Christ is being compromised?”     

 

Focus 4: Regardless of a school's accreditation, the government informs students to take additional measures prior to enrollment, whether or not their educational goals will be met through attendance at a particular institution.

Don't be mislead when the government uses the term, non-governmental accreditation. Accrediting agencies petition to the government to operate as recognized accrediting agencies.  The government establishes the regulations, and procedures for accrediting agencies.  The government also limits the number and types of accrediting agencies.  There are only three United States Department of Education recognized "religious" accrediting agencies: Association of Biblical Higher Education, Association of Theological Schools, TransNational Association of Schools and Colleges. 

How Many Accredited Institutions Compromise The Great Commission

Focus 6: Numerous United States Department of Education “accredited” Christian colleges and seminaries have procedural policy that faculty members must accept.   However, the accreditation process is driven by the federal government, which  requires diversity.  Schools must be equal opportunity employers.  Today, this means more than equal protection under the law concerning race, sex, nationality, creed, and the physically challenged.  This also can mean diverse sexual preferences.  Federal law has given some protections to religious organizations, but these are subject to being challenged at any time.   Also, accreditation requires philosophical diversity.   This is why it is not unusual to discover Biblical college or seminary professors who challenge or question the validity of Scripture even in the most conservative schools.  

Focus 7: Well invested in the old paradigm of brick and mortar, many of the traditional Bible college and seminaries continue to hold-on to the past.  They cause adult students to travel long distances for the core requirements of their programs.  This includes persons in ministry with families as well as bi-vocational professionals who desire ministry development.  These adult-students are as prone to the philosophical “non-sense” and “time-wasters” as first year Bible college students.   Not only is this counter-productive, but it avoids the “needs” based focus that should be a principal model of these Christian institutions.  And it certainly falls short of the call to prepare people for ministry.  When tuition cost is also factored, and the practice of creating graduate debtors with mortgage level debt, the affirmed Colleges and Seminaries offer an excellent opportunity and value.

 

The A3CEES Affirmed Colleges and Seminaries Program

A3CEES plays an extremely important role. A3CEES benefit schools by administering a quality assurance review process based on Key Quality Standards (KQS).  These are key meaning they are few in number, but by their nature they encompass the most significant delivery indicators.  This type of recognition provides legitimate non-United States Department of Education Bible schools and colleges the support of  an objective evaluative process without compromising core “Commission” values.   

Additionally, A3CEES possesses a growing list of churches and Christian ministries. This is the RECOGNITION that is significantly more important than United States Department of Education recognition. Biblical affirmation is more  AND the Quality is just as apparent without excessive costs.

Why Biblically Affirmed and Ministry Accredited Bible Colleges and Seminaries Must Be Considered 

Therefore, it is clear that A3CEES recognized schools and colleges avoid enormous debt, expensive projects, political pressures completely unrelated to their Christian mission or educational delivery.  More importantly, A3CEES recognized schools and colleges pass these savings on to their students.  A3CEES schools do not desire, expect, nor accept any financial support from the federal government for students. However, even USDE accrediting associations such as the Distance Education and Training Council contact A3CEES to determine whether a school or college is recognized by A3CEES.

If you are a student desiring a school assessment to determine whether you should attend, or a college or seminary administrator seeking recognition or information, use the menu  for the information you desire