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Going off to college is a rite of passage for many students, but some students prefer studying from home and attending an online christian college. A religious college believes that faith is just as important as education and strives to increase the faith of its students. Depending on the topic you decide to study, you may even take courses designed to show you how you can use your faith on the job. Though you might think that finding an online college if difficult, you can ask for recommendations and research schools to find the right one for you.
Check with Local Churches
Checking with local churches is one way to find good online religious schools. Online colleges often partner with the Roman Catholic, Mormon, Lutheran or other churches. Not only can you find out more about the schools that offer online classes, but you can also get some feedback about how church leaders feel about those schools. You may even find that a minister or reverend working for your church teaches one or more classes online. Those leaders should have information available about the courses and degrees offered through those programs too.
Ask for Recommendations
Never be afraid to ask for help or for recommendations from people you know. Many churches have a large and active group of parishioners who strive to help each other whenever possible. They will give you everything you need to know about picking an online school. Keep an ear and eye out for people in your church who take classes online. Ask them about the type of classes they take, the programs offered by their schools and how they generally feel about those schools. This gives you an idea of whether each program offers the kind of things you want.
Research Online Colleges
One of the best places to find online christian colleges and religious schools is online. U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review are just two organizations that rank schools and put out a list of the top schools in various categories every year. You’ll find lists of the top religious colleges and the best online schools. Some lists even tell you how much the school costs, the price of any fees students pay, the ratio of students to professors and the number of classes you must take and complete before earning your degree.
Check Accreditation
Never sign up for college or take any classes until you ensure the college has accreditation. The United States Department of Education defines a diploma mill as a school that does not have accreditation and offers degrees to students without actually teaching those students any useful information. Not all for profit colleges are diploma mills, but not all nonprofit schools offer students the education they deserve. When you narrow down your choice to a few online colleges, use the U.S. Department of Education search function to identify the type of accreditation each college has and weed out any schools that do not have accreditation.
Christian colleges often have a number of regulations and rules that students must follow, but those who take classes online typically have fewer rules. When looking for an online christian college, ask for help from your local church, seek recommendations from students, look online and check the accreditation of the school too.
