Are there any affordable online educations out there in any kind of Biblical or Pastorial studies?
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CF has always been a site that welcomes people from different backgrounds and beliefs to participate in discussion and even debate. That is the nature of its ministry. In view of recent events emotions are running very high. We need to remind people of some basic principles in debating on this site. We need to be civil when we express differences in opinion. No personal attacks. Avoid you, your statements. Don't characterize an entire political party with comparisons to Fascism or Communism or other extreme movements that committed atrocities. CF is not the place for broad brush or blanket statements about groups and political parties. Put the broad brushes and blankets away when you come to CF, better yet, put them in the incinerator. Debate had no place for them. We need to remember that people that commit acts of violence represent themselves or a small extreme faction.
Affordable?
- Thread starter jmtaylor
- Start date
emmzee
Regular Member
It depends what you mean by "affordable". If you want an accredited degree it's going to cost you.
One free option is Nations University ... they are free (unless you live in the USA, even then it's only $100/year). They are NOT accredited but they are becoming more and more respected, and they are applicants for accreditation with the DETC (which is not the most "prestigious" accreditation but it's legal and valid in the USA). If you need or want an accredited degree this won't work for you, but if not this could be a good option.
If you just want to learn more and aren't concerned with earning an associate or bachelor's degree, you could try Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's free online certificate program. It's entirely free, and they will send you an official certificate from the seminary if you complete the program. It's not the same as a bachelor's degree of course, and you can't transfer any of the work into a degree program.
Besides that, a (relatively) cheap place to earn a regionally accredited associate or bachelor's degree (regional accreditation is the best type a school in the USA can have) is Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. They are also accredited by ABHE and offer several online degrees for $182/credit. (For comparison, the cheapest you'll find at most other similarly accredited schools is $300/credit.) I know nothing about them other than what it says on their website though. Probably the most well known option is Liberty University, their Bachelor of Science in Religion is $295/credit.
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What are your future goals? Pastor? Other ministry work? Or is this for your own spiritual growth without any such goal?
One free option is Nations University ... they are free (unless you live in the USA, even then it's only $100/year). They are NOT accredited but they are becoming more and more respected, and they are applicants for accreditation with the DETC (which is not the most "prestigious" accreditation but it's legal and valid in the USA). If you need or want an accredited degree this won't work for you, but if not this could be a good option.
If you just want to learn more and aren't concerned with earning an associate or bachelor's degree, you could try Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary's free online certificate program. It's entirely free, and they will send you an official certificate from the seminary if you complete the program. It's not the same as a bachelor's degree of course, and you can't transfer any of the work into a degree program.
Besides that, a (relatively) cheap place to earn a regionally accredited associate or bachelor's degree (regional accreditation is the best type a school in the USA can have) is Clear Creek Baptist Bible College. They are also accredited by ABHE and offer several online degrees for $182/credit. (For comparison, the cheapest you'll find at most other similarly accredited schools is $300/credit.) I know nothing about them other than what it says on their website though. Probably the most well known option is Liberty University, their Bachelor of Science in Religion is $295/credit.
Was this at all helpful?
What are your future goals? Pastor? Other ministry work? Or is this for your own spiritual growth without any such goal?
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Marcus Constantine
Early Church Historian
I agree with the above poster. $300-400/credit hour is pretty standard. Liberty University has a good online program, as does Piedmont Baptist College. I've taken grad classes at both and enjoyed both. Piedmont isn't as well known as LU, but I prefer them doctrinally if you're going into Pastoral Ministry and I've known several people that have received a lot of financial aid/scholarships from them.
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If you find the place you want to graduate from, look at their program course listings and backtrack. Pick out courses that you can get at a community college, like psychology and writing. Look at their admission policies for transfer students.
If you are aiming for an accredited degree, then there will be a large grouping of general studies courses. Some may be geared toward ministry, but the standards for a BS or BA include a well-rounded education. That means some of the courses might appear unnecessary to you, but will give a broader understanding that will benefit more subtly. History helping with church history, languages helping with translation, writing helping with everything, math helping with church budgeting, computer literacy.... and on.
It is usually better to stay at the same school, but you have to do what you can. Don't be a slave to your debts.
-Continued in the next post-
If you are aiming for an accredited degree, then there will be a large grouping of general studies courses. Some may be geared toward ministry, but the standards for a BS or BA include a well-rounded education. That means some of the courses might appear unnecessary to you, but will give a broader understanding that will benefit more subtly. History helping with church history, languages helping with translation, writing helping with everything, math helping with church budgeting, computer literacy.... and on.
It is usually better to stay at the same school, but you have to do what you can. Don't be a slave to your debts.
-Continued in the next post-
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Course-by-course costs (part time tuition per credit, not per course):
Liberty $560/credit hr $320 online Financial Aid - Basic Costs - Liberty University
Trinity $710
Multnomah $510
Northwest Christian University $770 per credit.
Cascadia Community College $87 residents $259 non-residents
California Comm Coll Golden West $26 residents $190 non-residents
Most community colleges have online courses these days.
Take a look at one of the program's general ed requirements, for instance:
School of Religion - PASTORAL LEADERSHIP - Liberty University(BA or BS)

ENGL 101
ENGL 102
MATH
COMS
GNED
GNED
Technology Competency
ENGL (several)
NAT SCI
NAT SCI/MATH or
CMIS
HISTORY
HUMN /LANG
GEN ED ELEC
SOC SCI/HIST
GOVT/PSYC
SOCI
PHIL
Most of these are courses you can find online at community colleges. Or even cheaper through AP courses. If you can get through a chunk of these, you can "easily" drop a year or more of the higher tuition from the school you plan to graduate from.
There are no guarantees a school will take transfer credit, but a C or better is usually accepted for general studies. Do not plan to transfer in department-specific courses like OT Theology, as the department has a specific layout and schedule for content.
A school will have limits on how many credits, or lower level courses they will transfer.
This is a good tool to help you narrow things down:
http://www.petersons.com/college-search/college-compatibility-tool.aspx
Liberty $560/credit hr $320 online Financial Aid - Basic Costs - Liberty University
Trinity $710
Multnomah $510
Northwest Christian University $770 per credit.
Cascadia Community College $87 residents $259 non-residents
California Comm Coll Golden West $26 residents $190 non-residents
Most community colleges have online courses these days.
Take a look at one of the program's general ed requirements, for instance:
School of Religion - PASTORAL LEADERSHIP - Liberty University(BA or BS)

ENGL 101
ENGL 102
MATH
COMS
GNED
GNED
Technology Competency
ENGL (several)
NAT SCI
NAT SCI/MATH or
CMIS
HISTORY
HUMN /LANG
GEN ED ELEC
SOC SCI/HIST
GOVT/PSYC
SOCI
PHIL
Most of these are courses you can find online at community colleges. Or even cheaper through AP courses. If you can get through a chunk of these, you can "easily" drop a year or more of the higher tuition from the school you plan to graduate from.
There are no guarantees a school will take transfer credit, but a C or better is usually accepted for general studies. Do not plan to transfer in department-specific courses like OT Theology, as the department has a specific layout and schedule for content.
A school will have limits on how many credits, or lower level courses they will transfer.
This is a good tool to help you narrow things down:
http://www.petersons.com/college-search/college-compatibility-tool.aspx
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If you search there are free bible studies/classes out there!
If you live in California send me a PM and I will introduce you to the study groups around here
If you live in California send me a PM and I will introduce you to the study groups around here
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