Administrative Policies of Biblical Life College and Seminary (Terms of Service)

Entrance Requirements

The entrance requirement for our undergraduate programs is a High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED).  BLCS will be able to verify your High School Diploma or GED.  There is no need to have your High School or State to send a copy of your diploma.

Financial Information

BLCS accepts personal checks, money orders, cashier’s checks, Master Card and Visa.  Foreign students must make tuition payable in U.S. dollars drawn from a U.S. bank via an International Money Order.  There is also a 15% surcharge for foreign students to offset additional shipping costs.

COST OF TEXTBOOKS, AUDIO & VIDEO TAPES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE TUITION

To keep our tuition as low as possible, required textbooks, audio and video tapes have not been included in the tuition.  We use such standard textbooks that many ministers already have them in their libraries.  This also gives the option for the student to purchase them at discount houses such as Christian Book Distributors.  If a student has any problem locating a book, our staff would be more than happy to assist.

Enrollment and Payment Plans

There are several different enrollment and payment options available.

Plan A: One Course At A Time  [Not available for Doctoral Programs]

This allows students to enter into a program, but only take one course at a time.  If you choose this plan, select Plan A, tell us the program you wish to go into and then the title of the course you would like to take.  With this option, there are no discounts or payment plans.  You must pay for the entire course as each one is ordered.  The student is sent a supply of order forms for the courses in the program he selects.  All workbooks are spiral-bound for the student.

Plan B: Enroll Into Full Program Using the Student Loan Program

This plan allows students to enroll into an entire program and proceed through it with no delays.  The student is set up on convenient monthly payments.  The student will receive his materials in a BLCS Notebook that has five complete courses in each volume.  As the student completes three of the five courses in the volume, BLCS will automatically ship the student the next volume. 

Plan C: Enroll Into Full Program and Pay Full Tuition with Enrollment

Students that enroll with this option may proceed through the program with no delays and will be given a special 20% discount on the tuition.  This is the most economical option for students that do not need to use the Student Loan Program.  The materials are shipped to the student the same way as outlined in Plan B.

Spouse Discount

[Discount only available for students using Plans B & C ]

If the spouse enrolls at the same time into a program of lesser or equal tuition, the spouse will automatically receive a 50% discount on the tuition.  If the spouse uses the BLCS Student Loan Program, the monthly payments will be one half of what is shown in this catalog.

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy to Students

BLCS admits students of any race, national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, and programs made available to the students of the school.  BLCS does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin.  It is our conviction that such practices have no place within the Body of Christ.

With that said, there is something here that we do need to address – the concept of biblicity.  All students must agree with the BLCS Statement of Faith and the concepts behind them for godly living.  In a sense, when a student graduates from BLCS we are accrediting that student to not only have a thorough biblical education, but a life that is biblical as well.  If a student demonstrates lifestyle choices or belief systems that directly oppose the Statement of Faith of BLCS, we reserve the right to withhold his graduation.

BLCS Staff and Study Group Discount

Do you have a good number of your pastoral staff that needs training?  What about members of your congregation wanting to complete a Bible College degree?  Here is a program that can help!

When enrolling five (5) or more students at one time from a ministry, you will receive the following discounts:

1.            Using Plan A (One course at a time):  This plan is great for study groups that just want to take one course at a time.  Initial enrollments and subsequent orders must be sent into together.  If five (5) or more are submitted together, a 10% discount is given.

2.            Using Plan B (Monthly payment plan for a program):  This plan is great for staff and members that want to complete an entire program together or for staff that wants to support each other but is completing different programs.  If five (5) or more submitted together, a 20% discount is given.

3.            Using Plan C (Full tuition payment with enrollment for a program):  This plan is great for staff in which the ministry wants to provide educational support.  If five (5) or more submitted together, a 40% discount is given.

All enrollments must be submitted together along with a letter from the ministry requesting the BLCS Staff and Study Group Discount.  Our staff will also work with the local ministry in making suggestions for providing local mentorship and support for the study group.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Registrar at 417-859-0881 or regblcs@centurytel.net.

Refund Policy

Students may change or drop a program at any time during the first three (3) weeks after notification of their acceptance into BLCS.  When a program is dropped or withdrawn from and no substitute taken, the following refund policy applies:

1.            No refund will be made on application or evaluation fees.

2.            Refund of tuition is as follows:

a.            From 1 to 20 days from the date of enrollment - 100% refund.

b.            From 21 days to 30 days from the date of enrollment - 80% refund.

c.            From 31 days to 60 days from the date of enrollment - 60% refund.

d.            From 61 days to 90 days from the date of enrollment - 40% refund.

e.            After 90 days from the date of enrollment - no refund is given.

A student must notify the Registrar’s Office of his intention to withdraw.  The withdrawal date will be the date the notification is received by BLCS, and this date will be used in calculating the amount of tuition that is refundable.

Student Loan Program

BLCS maintains its own student loan program that will allow students to manage the cost of continuing their education by allowing them to make monthly payments.  These loans are made available at 0% interest (God’s Word mandates in Exodus 22:25 that a believer cannot charge another believer any type of interest.)

The BLCS Student Loan Program vs. The Guaranteed Student Loan Program

We have had many prospective students ask us about the difference between the Student Loan Program at BLCS and the Guaranteed Student Loan Program offered through Government (used by regionally accredited schools.)  First of all, the Guaranteed Student Loan is a loan from a national bank that is guaranteed by the Federal Government.  (This is itself could cause a situation in which conservative Christian organizations might be required to compromise their beliefs and convictions to meet Federal regulations.)  In the GSL Program, payments on the loan are deferred until the student graduates.  Because of the additional costs of operating a school that has been approved for Title Four Funding by the U. S. Department of Education, tuition can be as much as ten fold more than that which BLCS charges.  Interest is also charged to the student from the participating bank.  Under this system, the student can be in debt for his education from around $10,000.00 to $40,000.00 when he graduates.  (We have had reports of even higher indebtedness!)  Under the BLCS program, tuition remains affordable; the student can make interest free monthly payments as he receives his education.  The student will graduate debt free!  This will greatly enhance his abilities to minister wherever God sends him without worrying about a large debt still owed on his education.

Semester Credit Hours

In a traditional classroom setting, a semester credit hour is defined as equal to a fifty (50) minute class, meeting once a week for sixteen (16) weeks.

BLCS has surveyed over 140 colleges and universities (as well as researching standards at Cambridge and Oxford) to formulate a semester credit hour through non-traditional means.

Undergraduate:  Fifteen (15) pages of reading equals one fifty (50) minute class lecture.  A three (3) semester credit hour course would require a minimum of six hundred and seventy-five (675) pages of reading, plus a comprehensive examination.

Graduate:  Twenty-five (25) pages of reading equals one fifty (50) minute class lecture.  A three (3) semester credit hour course would require a minimum of one thousand, one hundred and twenty-five (1,125) pages of reading, plus a comprehensive examination.

(If audio and/or video taped lectures are included in the course, this would greatly reduce the amount of reading required.)

Credit Hours for Practicum and Supervision

Our calculations are based upon credits for one (1) unit of Clinical Pastoral Education.  One (1) unit is 400 hours of supervision.  Most traditional seminaries will award eight (8) semester credit hours at the graduate level.

Credit Hours for Thesis and Dissertation Work

One (1) semester credit hour given for thesis or dissertation work equals twenty (20) hours of research and five thousand (5,000) words.

Grading System

NOTE:  The standard at BLCS is that no one maintains an average below a “B”.  Our faculty will work and pray with any student until he has developed the educational skills to maintain this standard.  We believe God is a God of excellence.  It should start with a student’s grades.  Through faith, prayer, patience, love and additional training, we believe this level of excellence is available to every student!

Honors

Honors are awarded in accordance with the following quality point system:

The honors category will be displayed on the degree certificate and transcript.  NOTE: For honors to be awarded, a minimum of fifty percent of the required semester credit hours on the degree program must be completed through BLCS. (Example: A Bachelor of Biblical Studies degree would require a minimum of 60 semester credit hours to be completed through BLCS.)  Honors are awarded for undergraduate degrees only.

Time Limits on Programs

The following time limits are given on the degree programs of BLCS:

• Associate Degrees - 5 years

• Bachelor Degrees - 10 years

• 36 SCH Master’s Degrees - 3 years

• 60 SCH Master’s Degrees - 5 years

• 90 SCH Master’s Degrees - 7 years

• Doctoral Degrees - 6 years

Two one-year extensions may be required at no charge to the student.  Beyond these extensions, others are permitted under certain circumstances.

Auditing Courses

Those wishing to audit courses from BLCS may do so.  Courses that are audited are not awarded any semester credit hour value.  Tuition on audited courses is one half of the normal tuition.  One course at a time may be ordered.  The tuition on the course must be paid when it is ordered.

Transfer of Credits

Transfer of credits applies when a student has earned credits at another school in which he did not complete a degree program and desires to transfer those credits into BLCS to complete his degree.  BLCS recognizes credits from accredited institutions that are applicable to our programs.

A student transferring to BLCS from an accredited institution may transfer work for which he has received a “B” or better grade.  Credits from approved, but non-accredited institutions must be at the “A” grade level.

In addition to the requirement of a minimum grade level on transferred credits, each course to be transferred must apply to the student’s program of study (i.e. business, computer science, etc., cannot be transferred toward theological work.)

Maximum Transfer of Credits

A minimum of 25% of the work required for any degree program must be completed directly through BLCS.  Therefore, a maximum of credits given for life experience, experiential equivalency, and/or transfer of credits toward any degree program is 75%.  (i.e. In the 120 semester credit hours required for the completion of a Bachelor degree, a maximum of 90 semester credit hours could be transferred or accessed.)

Mentors

If you are an aspirant to ministry, mentorship is a very important aspect of ministry preparation.  At BLCS, we suggest two levels of mentorship.

1.            National Mentor/Advisor:  Every student at BLCS is assigned a national mentor/advisor.  This individual is a seasoned minister that is operating successfully in one of the offices of the five-fold ministry.  This advisor is also fully engaged in the educational process at BLCS.  Your mentor is there to provide spiritual, emotional and educational support as you proceed through your program.  Over the years, our mentors have continued to offer spiritual guidance to our graduates.  We have seen God, again and again, bring greater clarity and blessing because of these relationships.

2.            Local Mentor:  If you are aspiring to ministry, it is very important to have a local mentor.  In most cases, this will be your local Pastor.  Much of ministry is not “taught” - it is “caught!”  As you work beside your local mentor, you will gain insight and a wealth of practical experience that will take you well beyond what a traditional Bible college or Seminary could ever offer.  It is the blending of solid academics and mentorship that can transform a young minister and advance him years beyond where he would normally be in the traditional American style of education.

BLCS has several resources to aid local pastors in providing mentorship in their area.

A THOUGHT ON MENTORSHIP.  How important is it?  As we look at many of the most successful ministers …. those that are making an impact on their communities and the world, we find that they were mentored.  No matter where we are in ministry, we need a “Paul/Timothy” relationship.  When you choose a mentor, make sure he is successfully ministering in the same area you feel God is calling you.  Success breeds success.  Anointing breeds greater anointing.  Many are not where they should be in ministry today because they did not have a mentor.

Graduation

The beauty of completing your education through Directed Study is that you can start the program at any time as well as graduate as soon as you have completed the program requirements.  BLCS does hold regional graduation ceremonies each year throughout the United States.  Our external students can stand side by side with residential students at one of our campus programs through the BLCS International Educational Network.