The Challenges We Face

It is very unfortunate that there are few alternatives to the exorbitantly expensive accreditation bodies that are approved or recognized by the government/ Secretary of Education or CHEA. Sadly, many of those alternatives often mean that Bible colleges and seminaries purchase worthless credentials in the form of an accreditation certificate, from an accreditation mill. There are many such accreditation mills advertising on the internet. Some sell worthless accreditation certificates for as little as $100. However, these accreditation mills provide little or NO service in the area of ongoing evaluation and guidance toward improving Christian education quality and institutional integrity.

Christian education institutions such as Christian schools, colleges, universities, Bible colleges, and seminaries have an obligation not to compromise regarding Biblical standards in education and accreditation.

For a Christian educational institution to fall under the influence and dictates of the secretary of education/ CHEA, through a secular government-recognized accreditation, and the resulting, politically correct, non-Biblical values, would mean nothing less than compromise in consideration of our Christian worldview and integral Biblical standards.

Most Christian educators are aware that the Government / Secretary of Education/ CHEA etc. influenced secular organizations for accreditation are influenced by the popular position concerning what is "politically correct" regarding such issues as Abortion, Gay Marriage, Homosexual Rights, Biblical Creation vs. Darwinism, etc. Obviously, such "politically correct" positions are not Biblically supported or consistent with IACEA membership standards. Therefore, we cannot recommend such accreditation to any Christian institution.

Therefore, a Biblical alternative to government-approved secular accreditation is a necessity for Christian institutions to maintain quality in the free expression of Biblical/ religious standards. There are very few governmentally approved accrediting bodies that offer accreditation for Christian educational institutions, and the ones that do, are very expensive and not affordable to most small Christian colleges, universities, Bible colleges, and seminaries that want to reach the literal multitude of financially underprivileged students, who simply cannot afford high tuition and other related expenses of governmentally recognized colleges and universities.

Even middle-class students today, require student loans that leave thousands of students in debt for years after graduation. The fact remains that most students who are financially disadvantaged, cannot afford the high costs of attending a governmentally approved college or university, nor can they qualify for the required student loans. The result is that most must therefore elect not to continue their education beyond high school.

The inequitable tragedy is that government does not recognize accreditation by any organization that they do not approve. This is an extremely unfair practice, which appears to be a monopoly on advanced education which results in unfair discrimination against the financially less privileged in society and therefore, must not be allowed to continue.

The Bias even involves Lists that are published online concerning Government recognized accreditation as well as government-recognized colleges and universities. These lists convey the position that any accreditation agency, college, or university that is not authorized by the government must therefore be illegitimate. This was not the case when America still had full freedom of education. Furthermore, the cost of such government-recognized accreditation is so exorbitant that most small colleges, universities, Bible colleges, and seminaries, cannot afford to comply, even if they did represent Biblical standards, which most emphatically do not.

Worst still, for financially impoverished future students, is legislation that has been proposed in the form of a bill like: H.R. 4535 that would define any *secular college or university that does not have government-recognized accreditation, as a degree mill and any *secular accreditation organization not recognized by the government as an accreditation mill.

This means monopoly: If the legislation is approved regarding these definitions, the next step, as ordered in the legislation, is for the government/ FTC to investigate and enforce laws against what they seek to define as degree mills and accreditation mills. this may result in the closing of many secular/ academic non-religious colleges and universities across the United States of America.

Education has become BIG business in America today and such BIG business would love to monopolize all of education, by eliminating all of the small colleges and universities and accreditation organizations that are non-government approved entities. The result will be that the masses who cannot afford to pay up to $100,000 for a 4-year degree, will be denied a college or university education.

Monopolizing education means huge profits for those providing huge government loans to thousands of students as well as to the BIG government-approved colleges, universities, and accreditation organizations.

*Secular accrediting bodies, colleges, and universities are not protected by the U.S. Constitution regarding legislation. Christian accrediting bodies, colleges, universities, seminaries, institutes, and other Christian or religious schools and ministries are protected by the First and Tenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution regarding legislation forbidding their freedom.

The sad fact is that numerous colleges and universities which the government is attempting to label as degree mills are sincere, dedicated institutions that provide quality education to the masses at an affordable tuition.

If the legislation were passed, many fine small colleges and universities could be forced to close amidst huge fines, etc. But, the major injustice is that millions of potential students will be deprived of an education because they cannot afford to enroll in government-recognized colleges and universities that now *cost up to $100,000 to attend including room, board, books, transportation, etc. for a 4- year degree program. * These cost quotes are taken from an article in Business Week magazine; November 2008 edition. (See Accreditation Page)

This is where the International Association of Christian Educational Accountability steps in to fill the gap and to provide educational credibility for non-governmentally recognized Christian colleges and universities, Christian schools, Bible colleges, and seminaries, through membership in an international Christian ministry association that is not a government recognized accreditation agency, but a ministry association for evaluation, guidance, support and implementation of the Biblical standards that all Christian schools should adhere to in the form of non-traditional Christian accreditation standards.