APOSTOLIC News

Elk Grove, CA – June 26, 2010. While Apostolic Bible Colleges have been known to be unaccredited traditional onsite colleges, another school has come on the scene that is very promising. Apostolic School of Theology (AST) has been well-known for its online learning and its connections with accredited course programs with other colleges. In June of 2009, AST merged with Hope International University (HIU) and has acquired many of the benefits that HIU offers such as quality courses, WASC accredited programs, online learning, and 5-week Course programs. It has gained so much momentum, that programs are filling up quickly. For example the first graduate course had 23 students in the class, so it had to be split into two sections of the course. AST has quadrupled in the last 12 months due to a number of factors as noted above. One factor that has not been discussed as of yet, is financial aid. Many of our Pentecostal Apostolic students have obtained federal financial aid to defray the costs of tuition. In many cases the students only pay a small fraction of the tuition for up to two years. These are not loans, but grants, which mean they do not have to be repaid.

While there are a number of Apostolic Bible Colleges in the US and Canada, there exists only one that is fully accredited. One of the best ways to determine if a school is fully accredited is to apply for federal financial aid (FAFSA). FAFSA can only be applied by students entering accredited colleges. Another benefit to the college is the fact that the military will pay the whole costs of the program from start to finish for their servicemen and women that qualify for the GI Bill.

While Apostolic Bible Colleges are declining in student enrollments, AST has increased every five weeks. Students seem to love the idea of taking our 5-week courses. They are full-time if they are enrolled in one course at a time and take at least 8 courses per year. So, students do not have concentrate on a few courses at a time as in the traditional style of Bible College; they concentrate on only one course and that creates a more flexible and convenient method for pastors, leaders, and working students. Apostolics can download their lectures to their iPods for future and more convenient access. Students love the idea of doing their schoolwork and viewing their lectures at their own leisure, instead at set periods of time. Another aspect of the school is the fact that courses include some live lectures where students participate in live discussions via their webcam and headset. The sessions are recorded and uploaded for future use so as to be more convenient for the pastors. If the student wants to login to class from anywhere, he/she can as long as there is an internet connection.

With all of these benefits, it is no wonder why AST is the fastest growing Apostolic Bible College in the Nation.