F.A.Q about accreditation

"There are accrediting organizations that may not be recognized but are not accreditation mills. For example, the accreditor may be seeking recognition, but the process is not complete. Or, the accreditor does not meet the requirements of CHEA or USDE for reasons that do not relate to quality."

"It should be noted that some institutions have chosen not to participate in the federal student aid program and therefore do not have to be approved by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department. While these institutions do not appear on the Department's list, they may be legitimate schools."

"There are hundreds of Bible Colleges and Seminaries in the United States and Canada that are offering good solid theological training, yet they are not accredited."

Accreditation is about quality assurance for various publics and ongoing improvement for theological schools, especially regarding student learning and formation. It is a voluntary process through which schools mutually assure one another’s educational quality with an eye toward ongoing improvement, based on standards. Through self-review, a school has regular opportunities to reflect intentionally on its distinctive strengths and its areas of desired growth in light of its unique mission and distinct context and in light of the standards.

Self-review then supports the school’s efforts in planning, evaluation, and imagination. Through peer review, an accredited school is endorsed by its peers as one of quality and integrity, which affirms the school’s value to society, as well as its trustworthiness [from Preamble to 2020 Standards of Accreditation].

The United States Department of Education does NOT accredit any College, University, Seminary or any Education Program.  Here is a quote from the U.S. Department of  Education's Web Page: 

 http://www.ed.gov/about

Under the Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Nothing specific is said about education in the Constitution; therefore it falls outside federal authority.

In creating the Department of Education, Congress made clear its intention that the secretary of education and other Department officials be prohibited from exercising "any direction, supervision, or control over the curriculum program of instruction, administration, or personnel of any educational institution, school, or school system." The establishment of schools and colleges, the development of curricula, the setting of requirements for enrollment and graduation -- these are responsibilities handled by the various states and communities, as well as by public and private organizations of all kinds, not by the U.S. Department of Education."

Many religious denominations accredit their own schools. There are, however, some independent accrediting organizations like the Association of Independent Christian Colleges and Seminaries and the International Association for Christian Educational Accountability, that are recognized as accepted accrediting vehicles by most Christian schools. 

The reason many Christian schools choose not to become accredited is that they offer an education that is more focused on values and, in the case of seminaries, on doctrine. Those are areas in which secular accreditation would not provide adequate direction. In addition, The IACEA website cites the high cost of accreditation through secular avenues as one reason many Christian schools choose not to follow that path. For those schools choosing to accredit through one of the major Christian organizations, however, the process will be similar to secular accreditation 

Ministry and education: Your ministry avocation is one of those areas where God’s will and plan is more important than anything else. In fact, for those already serving in ministry, a degree from a highly credible though governmentally unrecognized school may be the smartest choice. Especially when you can receive a quality online seminary education for a fraction of the expense associated with regionally accredited schools. We should not forget that, especially in the Christian tradition, academic freedom is considered a cornerstone of religious liberty. Of course, so is academic responsibility! Therefore, any program of study leading to a theological degree should be both Biblically sound, and academically honest. At NTS, you can be assured of such integrity with quality educational materials based soundly on Biblical principles.

However, if you are concerned whether your church or place of employment will accept you with a degree earned through a privately accredited school, that is not regionally accredited, then you should simply inquire concerning the same. Remember too, that even with degrees earned from regionally accredited schools; there could be restrictions on what kind of degree is recognized. Always inquire first, since in some cases, denominations and ministries may not accept degrees from secular schools, or schools not affiliated with a specific denomination or organization.

Persons whose professional or career goals require certification by a state or federal government agency should check in advance to determine whether a degree from Elohim Theological University or The Joint Commission on Chaplain Accreditation and Education  would be acceptable. Individuals needing to earn a regionally accredited degree in one of the disciplines offered by Elohim Theological University or The Joint Commission on Chaplain Accreditation and Education may wish to investigate comparable programs offered at more traditional on-campus colleges currently accredited by a regional association recognized by the United States Department of Education.