Rusty Benson
AFA Journal associate editor
October 2011 – For nearly two years, Ellen and her parents had been planning her educational future. In the spring of 2010, as she approached the end of her final semester in high school, the plan for the fall was to attend Summit Semester (www.summit.org/institutes/semester) at Summit Ministries in Manitou Springs, Colorado. The three-month “gap” session helps prepare young Christians for the challenges of college life. After that, Ellen, a homeschooler, would likely take advantage of scholarships that had been offered at one of several colleges where she had been accepted. A fallback plan that sounded like a sweet deal to her parents was to transition from a local community college to nearby William and Mary. In any case, there were safe and attractive options. The final decision could be ratified simply by returning the acceptance letter to the college of her choice.
The matter was all but settled, Ellen’s parents thought. But then came the surprise 11:30 p.m. phone call from their daughter. That call would nullify their months of planning and take friends and family by surprise.
While attending Summit Semester Ellen heard a presentation about a college – for lack of a better word – that was unlike any other she’s ever heard of: Rivendell Sanctuary, named after a fictional place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings.
“After two weeks of prayer and searching, I fasted for an entire day, spending the whole time praying and reading Scripture,” Ellen told AFA Journal. “At the end, I felt that God had given me my heart’s desire and was telling me to go for it. That decided it, for both me and my parents. Two months later, after going through a whirlwind of preparations, I found myself at a red barn in Minnesota in the middle of winter, setting off on the adventure of a lifetime.”
While reports indicate that some 50-75% of young people from Christian homes discard their faith during their first year of college, Ellen reports that hers has “grown exponentially” during her months at RS. And that’s great news for Christian parents who are open to the growing variety of available alternatives to traditional college and university models.
In the following article, AFA Journal profiles four post-high school educational offerings that are serving Christian students and their families. These four are not offered as an exhaustive list, but rather serve as examples of innovative efforts of particular interest to Christians.
Work colleges
CNNMoney reported in October 2010 that college seniors who graduated in 2009 owed an average of $24,000 in student loans. At the same time, unemployment for recent college grads rose to 8.7%, the highest annual rate on record. The net result: about 85% percent of college graduates are returning home to live with their parents.
Seven federally recognized “work colleges” in the U.S. – most of which have been operating for a century or more – have been countering that trend by requiring students to contribute to the cost of their education through their own labor. Some operate under a distinctively Christian calling, including College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, and Ecclesia College in Springdale, Arkansas.
At both schools, work is seen not only as a way to minimize school debt, but also as an integral part of building Christian character. Undergirding those work programs are administrators and faculty who are committed to the spiritual and academic growth of their students and campus communities ingrained with Christian values.
“We believe the Christian nature of an educational institution is ultimately defined not by its stated affiliation, but by the real, continuing Christian growth of its staff and faculty, as well as its students and alumni,” said Angie Snyder, EC vice-president of communications. “Ultimately, it is Christ in us, the hope of glory, who is at the heart of true Christian life. Therefore, we take every opportunity to point Ecclesia students not only to Christian principles and precepts, but to Christ Himself.
Sam Porter, a CO graduate now in medical school, said he experienced the impact of a Christian education that goes beyond academics. “It was not so much the Christian curriculum that gave roots to my spiritual walk,” he said. “Rather it was students I met there – thoughtful, God-loving, Bible-saturated young men and women who wanted to use their degrees to make a difference in the kingdom of God.”
At CO, nicknamed Hard Work U, a combination of work, grants and scholarships makes it possible to graduate completely debt free.
Elizabeth Hughes, CO public relations director, lists admissions criteria in order of priority – financial need, academic ability and students with a strong character and willingness to work. “A student who would really succeed at this school is one that has a strong faith and loves the community atmosphere,” she said.
EC students can also gain financially by earning up to $4,950 toward their tuition. On average, students leave EC college with $3,577 in debt, Snyder said.
Distance learning
Distance learning – taking courses via the Internet – is all about reducing the time and cost of earning a degree without sacrificing educational quality. Is that possible? Definitely, according to proponents, but it takes a highly motivated student willing to step outside traditional models and a coordinated degree strategy. That’s where College Plus comes into play.
College Plus is not a college per se, but rather a highly individualized service that helps Christian students earn a fully-accredited bachelor’s for less than $15,000, sometimes in less than two years.
Dave Cohen, marketing director, explains, “We pair a student with a degree consultant or coach. The coach designs a degree template taking into consideration what the student has already learned in high school, because the student can earn college credit for those courses through CLEP (College Level Examination Program) exams. A student can earn between 3 and 12 college credits by passing a $77 CLEP test. We even have an online learning system to help prepare for a CLEP exam in a particular subject.”
Cohen says CP focuses on one test at a time until a student has completed about 90 credit hours. Then those credits are transferred to an online or onsite school to finish the remaining 30 credit hours necessary to earn a bachelor’s degree.
“Typically, a student will complete most of his general education through College Plus using the credit-by-exam process at a cost of $5,000 to $7,000,” Cohen said. “Completing the degree at a regionally accredited institution will require another $5,000 to $7,000. So the average College Plus student will earn a bachelor’s in about three years for less then $15,000.”
College Plus has been endorsed by notable Christian leaders including Jeff Myers, president of the Myers Institute for Communication; R.C. Sproul Jr., Highland Study Center; David Noebel of Summit Ministries; Voddie Baucham, author; and Doug Phillips, founder of Vision Forum.
Old methods, new minds
If the response that students and parents expressed in their marketing research proves true, Rivendell Sanctuary in Bloomington, Minnesota, may be on the verge of rewriting the book on how higher education should be done, says Bobby Norment, RS CEO and co-founder. Eight years in planning, Norment said RS generated one of the top five highest market favorability ratings ever scored by Britt Beemer’s American Research Group.
That enthusiasm is echoed in comments from students like Caleb Overgaard, a member of the inaugural class of RS which began last January. “I have gone to public schools, private academies, the Library of Congress during my time as a congressional page and taken online courses,” he said. “Rivendell’s critical thinking method of self-learning has, by far, been the most conducive for coming to a true understanding of subject matter and the wisdom to apply it to life.”
So, how does RS differ from the traditional college model? It begins by bringing together 25-30 students who live, study and travel IN-COMM (in community) with four mature Christian faculty members. RS students never change classes, classmates or professors.
“Our curriculum focuses on Jesus' model of apprenticeship that teaches our students how to love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength,” Norment said. “Rivendell Sanctuary is unique in its mentoring approach that focuses on spiritual disciplines, critical thinking, and effectively communicating ideas from the great books within a Christian worldview.”
Subjects are taught one at a time using the ancient Socratic teaching model that stresses dialogue and critical thinking, Norment says. Curriculum is presented in a sequence that follows the flow of the Biblical narrative.
The aim is for students to learn how the various liberal arts disciplines are interconnected. By the end of the 18-month program students are ready to continue their education or move out into the world with a cohesive biblical worldview, an Associate of Arts degree and 72 credit hours of collegiate studies.
Relational skills are also top priorities at RS. “To be successful in any vocation, you must have good people skills,” Norment said. To that end, students attend a regular Thursday night dinner – sometimes formal – where they are taught to improve their conversation skills, as well as how to dress and eat properly in a variety of settings.
Academically, Ellen describes RS as challenging. “Our faculty is our biggest cheerleaders, but they certainly don’t make it easy for us,” she said. “They don’t let us just go through the motions. They are teaching us to think about implications – general and personal – and to search out the truth so that we are sure of what we believe, and are confident that we have believed the truth.” 
College of the Ozarks
www.cofo.edu
1-800-222-0525
[email protected]
Ecclesia College
www.ecollege.edu
479-248-7236
[email protected]
College Plus
www.collegeplus.org
866-989-5432 ext. 1
[email protected]
Rivendell Sanctuary
www.rivendellsanctuary.com
952-996-1451
[email protected]
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Resources for finding the right college
▶ See review of College Prep Genius, here.
▶ Top 10 Christian Colleges www.topchristiancolleges.org Listing taken from Forbes magazine ranking of colleges
▶ Top 10 Online Christian Colleges and Universities of 2011 www.thebestcolleges.org/top-10-online-christian-colleges-universities
▶ Ten best colleges for homeschoolers www.superscholar.org/rankings/best-colleges-for-homeschoolers
▶ Council for Christian Colleges and Universities www.cccu.org Focused on advancing the cause of Christ-centered higher education and to help member institutions transform lives by faithfully relating scholarship and service to biblical truth. 113 members in North America and 73 affiliate institutions in 24 countries.
▶ Princeton Review www.princetonreview.com Comprehensive site for every stage of college education, especially admissions and testing. Not particularly aimed at Christian families.
▶ Choosing the Right College Over 1,000 pages of reports, essays and advice. Publisher: ISI
