Accreditation

Accreditation & Certification

Encouraging Faith Theological University is authorized to operate and to grant degrees by the FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COMMISSION FOR INDEPENDENT EDUCATION under SECTION 1005.06(1)(f), F.S./ RULE 6E-5.001, Fla. Admin. Code.

Encouraging Faith Theological University is also certified by the ACADEMIC COUNCIL FOR EDUCATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY (ACEA), this is a network of Christian educators and administrators providing credibility both through accountability and association.

A Word Concerning Accreditation

We believe that the federal government or any secular institutions are not qualified to dictate the qualifications for instructors or the programs for a spirit-filled ministerial degree. As a Christian University, Encouraging Faith Theological University offers academic programs that are specifically designed to equip students who feel the call of God on their lives and wish to build a ministerial career or to further their Christian education.

Accreditation in the U.S. is a voluntary, non-governmental process that is undertaken by private agencies. Some, but not all, of those agencies have applied for and received approval from the U.S. Department of Education or the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), which maintains criteria for such approval. Those agencies that are so approved enable their members to qualify for several billion dollars annually of federal student funds. This creates a "gatekeeper" role for such agencies and a direct relationship between them and federal government. The main reason why many institutions in the U.S. seek accreditation is in order to gain access to federal student funds, which are not available to schools that do not hold accreditation through their agency.

"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." - United State Department of Education.

Although religious schools may opt to seek accreditation, many regard the separation of church and state as a reason either to seek accreditation from a specifically religious agency with no ties to government.