IMPORTANT NOTICE—PLEASE READ CAREFULLY.
 
This special announcement covers the following items. Details follow below:

1. ChristianCourses.com to offer validated certificate study programs, including certification charge of $20 per Continuing Education Unit ($40 per course for most courses) beginning February 1, 2009. The courses will remain tuition free for students who do not require Continuing Education (CE) credits or a formal, printed certificate. Details...
    
   
2. Students currently enrolled in courses for certification must complete the courses and print certificates no later than January 20, 2008. Details...
    
   
3. Beginning February 1, 2009, there will be a 180 day time limit for the completion of all courses (certificate and non-certificate). Details...
   
   
4. ChristianCourses.com is phasing out the comprehensive certificate program. If you have been working toward a comprehensive certificate, it’s important for you to follow these instructions. Details...

1. As our student base increases, we have become aware of the need to enhance our service offerings for those enrolled in our certificate programs. Our students fall into one of two categories.

1. Students taking courses for their own education and enjoyment (no certification required).
    
2. Students taking courses for certification purposes (those seeking continuing education or academic credits and a certificate of completion).

For those students taking courses for CE or academic credit, we have realized an increasing need to monitor student activities and student records in order to give a higher, verifiable value to the certificates earned at ChristianCourses.com. This activity significantly increases our administrative time to more closely follow the progress and activities of our certificate students. The same holds true for any additional documentation of student activities and performance requested by various accrediting associations.

ChristianCourses.com is preparing two solutions to help offset the cost of this additional administrative responsibility.

First, beginning February 1, 2009 ChristianCourses.com will begin charging a fee for all certificate programs of $20.00 per CEU credit ($40 total charge for most courses). This charge will ONLY apply if the student is taking the course for certificate credit.

2. Second, to help keep the CEU credit fee as low as possible, we’re planning to add course-related products and services for your optional purchase in both our certificate and non-certificate programs. Some of these materials will be available for purchase directly through our Web site, and other materials may come in the form of a link to other publishers. Any featured course materials that appear in the future will be chosen to directly supplement your learning experience.

It’s very important for you to complete any courses that you are taking for CE credit and print the related course certificates by January 20, 2008. We plan to implement the charge for CE credits beginning February 1, 2009. If you start a course but don’t finish it before January 20, 2009, you will no longer have the option of taking the final exam and printing the course certificate as it will be converted to a NO CREDIT course. To receive the course certificate, you will need to re-enroll in the FOR CREDIT course, pay the course fee as outlined above, and take the entire course under the new course structure.

3. We will also add a 180 day time limit for course completion for all courses. At the end of 180 days, the records for a course will be taken offline and stored. If you re-enroll in a course after it auto-expires after 180 days, the records will be brought back online and you can continue from where you previously left off.

4. ChristianCourses.com is phasing out the comprehensive certificate program. If you have been working toward a comprehensive certificate, it’s important for you to follow these instructions.

If you have not already done so, it’s important that you take the individual final exams for each course you completed in the comprehensive program. Once you have completed the final exam (and all the other assignments and quizzes), please print out your certificate. You can also download a copy of your certificate in the PDF format for safekeeping.

If you already took the individual final exams and received the certificate for those courses, then you've completed those courses and nothing more needs to be done.

When we first began ChristianCourses.com, we offered the option of getting a certificate for each course, or a certificate for groups of courses (the comprehensive certificates). There was no difference in the credit involved. If you took the OT Bible Survey courses one at a time, you would end up with 24 CEUs (12 courses, 2 credits per course). If you took the comprehensive certificate final exam, you received the same 24 CEUs. But you had to wait until you finished all 12 courses and had to take one massive final exam. We feel taking the individual course finals work better for most students and allow students to received credit for each course as you work through the entire program.

So if you haven't already, take the final exam for each of the individual courses and print/download the certificates for each of those. Then when we have the change in February, just start the next course and keep going. This way there will be no loss for the work you have done, and if you continue with the certificate program once the certificate fee begins, you won’t have to pay for the certificates that have already been completed.

We believe this approach is better for students in the long run and protects the work you have already completed.

Your involvement in studying God’s Word is a constant encouragement to us. As our course offerings continue to expand, our hope is that learning with us will be an ongoing means of spiritual growth for you.

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