The Director of the American Accrediting Association
of Theological Institutions, Inc. answers

Frequently Asked Questions
About
ACCREDITATION!

Q. Are Bible colleges, seminaries or universities required by law to be accredited?

A. No. It is voluntary and not mandatory.

Q. Why do some schools choose to be accredited?

A. For many reasons, including:

(1) to take advantage of federal aid programs, etc.
(2) to add to their credibility.
(3) to aid in transferring their credits to other schools. No matter what school one attends, there is no ironclad guarantee that all credits will be transferred to another school. It is entirely up to the individual school as to whether or not they will accept any part or all of credits earned from another school.
(4) A few states require their secular schools to be accredited in order to grant permission to operate. Most educational authorities claim that accreditation is entirely a voluntary process.
Remember, only the school is accredited, not the degree.

Q. If a school is regionally accredited or has any other type of accreditation does that guarantee credit transfer to other schools?

A. No. The U.S. Department of Education states “accreditation by a regional accrediting agency or any other accrediting agency does not provide automatic acceptance by an Institution of credits earned at another institution...”

Q. Are accrediting associations (in the U.S.) governmental agencies?

A. No. Accrediting associations are non-governmental, private organizations, which set criteria for schools that wish to be accredited.

Q. Are all accrediting associations or agencies required to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)?

A. No. A direct quote from a letter from the U.S. Department of Education reveals “No accrediting agency needs the Secretary’s recognition in order to…operate, and no agency needs recognition by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), the successor to CORPA, to operate.”

Q. Do accrediting associations or agencies give schools the authority to offer degrees?

A. No. States give schools authority to grant degrees.

Note: Patriot Bible University is authorized by the State of Colorado Commission on Higher Education to grant religious degrees.

Q. What are the different kinds of accreditation?

A. Some accrediting organizations are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (Federal agency) and/or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (non-Governmental Coordinating agency). Schools recognized by those organizations qualify for the federal aid programs. This type of recognition is sometimes needed for certifications, military chaplaincies, and other secular-oriented positions. However, employment or credit transfer is not guaranteed even with this type of recognition.

Q. What is the purpose of private, non-secular Christian accrediting associations or agencies?

A. (1) They provide and set educational standards to promote quality education among Bible colleges, seminaries, universities, and institutes, etc. (2) They provide an alternative accreditation, which does not seek secular educational standards, philosophies or approval. They are not required—nor do they desire—to be recognized by the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). (3) They promote and encourage the transfer of credits among the schools accredited by their organization. (4) They seek unity and fellowship among post-secondary Christian institutions.

—Dr. Cecil Johnson, AAATI

from Patriot’s Progress Magazet, September/October 2001