Florida State Board of Education for Religious Studies
ACCREDITATION COMMISSION
(800) 737-0984
FSBERS
Certification and Endorsement for Private Christian Bible Institutes, Bible Colleges, Seminaries and Universities
QUESTIONS CONCERNING ACCREDITATION
Q. Is all accreditation the same?
A. NO. All accreditation is not the same. Accreditation has many purposes. There are many groups that accredit for different reasons. FSBERS exists to assist the Christian educational arena to obtain accreditation which is not government affiliated. However, is recognized and validated by all Christian groups, organizations, and churches affiliated with FSBERS.
Q. What is the average cost of gaining membership through FSBERS?
A. All applicants for membership are required to submit the annual membership fee of $200.00 at the time they submit their application for membership. Upon approval of the application the applicant school is awarded "Associate Member Status." Associate Membership Status for all new member schools. Once the school has established two (2) consecutive years of membership in FSBERS, the school is then elevated in status to "Candidate Member Status." Upon completion of the evaluation (On-Site Visit/Certification Evaluation), and the maintenance of membership for a period of two (2) consecutive years, the Candidate Member is bestowed with Certified Member Status and benefits upon renewal of membership in their third year.
*Bible Institutes, Schools of Ministry and Schools of Divinity providing Theological Degrees are classified as Colleges, Universities and Seminaries. Those member Bible Institutes, Schools of Ministry and Schools of Divinity providing only Certificate and/or Diploma Programs are classified as institutions providing Adult Education (NOTE: member Colleges, Universities and Seminaries will bestow CEU's [Continuing Education Units] to those students coming in from member schools providing Adult Education). Please be advised that an On-Site Visit is required for all member schools.
The fee for the On-Site Visit/Certification Evaluation is $2,500.00, which covers the cost of travel and lodging. The On-Site Visit/Certification Evaluation may be postponed until the second year of membership. However, schools who have not been qualified by an On-Site
Q. Is the size of a school a requirement before the school can become a member of FSBERS?
A. NO. FSBERS recognizes that some of the most reputable schools, colleges and universities in the world started with only a few students (Harvard, Princeton, and The College of William and Mary to name a few). FSBERS recognizes that quality cannot be evaluated by the size of the student body, number, and sizes of buildings, and financial endowments. Students must receive a quality education in a proper climate to receive the education they need. Size is not the final word in accreditation.
Q. How important is a library and its holdings before we can become accredited?
A. While FSBERS encourages the college or small school to have a vision for a library; we will not reject a school on the basis of a faulty library alone, schools and colleges are authorized to use public libraries and utilize the use of the internet, providing their students with an online library. These may be utilized while the school strives to obtain its own library holdings.
Q. Will FSBERS supply our name, address and contact information to anyone who asks?
A. Our complete mailing list is provided to our membership. We do not provide this list to the general public. However, listing of the school name, mailing address and school web site will be provided on the FSBERS web site.
Visit/Certification Evaluation will be bestowed "Associate Member Status" and not "Certified Member Status."
Q. Do the benefits of membership justify the cost?
A. YES. Absolutely! One of the first questions a prospective student asks is, “Are you accredited?” Students are looking for quality. Quality accreditation helps lead them in the right direction. Member schools use our name as a referral and testimony that the school uses our services. The cost may be easily defrayed by the addition of programs and qualities pointed to by our visitors.
Q. Is an On-Site Visit essential for every school, even if they have been accredited in the past?
A. YES. There are several reasons for this. FSBERS realizes that education today is big business. Since there is financial involvement in this business of education, there are of course undesirable institutions. We can not fully know what a school is doing unless we “see” first hand what they are doing. Accreditation without a personal visit is all but worthless.
Q. Does accreditation make the school “above the law of the land?”
A. NO. All FSBERSmember schools are required to operate in compliance with the laws governing their particular local, state or country of domicile.
Q. Do all schools that are members of FSBERS accept credits issued by other member schools?
A. YES. One of our requirements is that member schools accept credits from other members if they apply to their programs.
Q. Are FSBERS schools required to observe Civil Rights laws where they exist?
A. YES. FSBERS insists that our membership does not discriminate because of race, color, age, sex, national origin or physical handicap.
Q. Do other schools outside of FSBERS membership receive our credits?
A. This depends. Some schools, governments, and industries have accepted our credits, etc. due to our membership. FSBERS makes no guarantee outside of our own membership.
Q. Will FSBERS recommend our school to potential students?
A. YES. We receive inquiries daily. We endeavor to recommend member schools which maintain the nearest to detail of the program the student is seeking. In some cases, we do take into consideration the geographical location of the school. However, sometimes this is not necessary.
Q. Can a school become accredited by FSBERS who provides only courses through correspondence?
A. YES. Some of the member schools only provide courses and programs through correspondence. This is a totally acceptable practice.
