News

February 2011
We congratulate Andersonville Theological Seminary on their acceptance as a member of the Council of Private Colleges of America (CPCA). They are currently the only academic association with a certification process of educational standards comparable to recognized accrediting agencies. 

Certification is an excellent vehicle for achieving academic legitimacy, especially for faith-based educational institutions with no desire or need to seek accreditation for the purpose of qualifying for Title IV Funding.  

The purpose of the organization is summed up in the following statement:  “Preventive and Proactive Protection of Today’s Private Colleges for Tomorrow’s Students.”

In fact, within higher education circles, it is understood that not all higher education institutions actually need USDE recognized accreditation as is evidenced in the following quotes from:

1. The United States Department of Education (USDE). “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.” 
2. The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). “There are institutions that may not be accredited but are not degree mills.  For example, the institution may be seeking accreditation, but the process is not complete.  Or a legitimate institution may choose not to be accredited for reasons that do not relate to quality.” 

Well-known schools such as Moody Bible Institute, Trinity Theological College and Seminary, and Southeastern Theological Seminary are members of CPCA. Also, Andersonville Theological Seminary is an affiliate institution with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) and the Institute of Theological Studies (ITS).

Andersonville Theological Seminary is a member of the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and the Association of Christian Distance Education (ACCESS).

Andersonville Theological Seminary is a certified academic institution with the National Christian Counselors Association (NCCA).  NCCA is the largest educational and training association of Christian counselors in the world.  Twice, Andersonville Theological Seminary has been named the “NCCA College of the Year.”

The information given in this article was taken directly from ATS News letter dated February 2011. See also the CPCA website located at http://www.cpca-edu.us.