Frequently Asked Questions
Trinity Learning Community (TLC)

What is the annual tuition cost?  For the Diploma and Certificate programs, the cost is $3,625/year.  For the Bachelor’s degree, it is $7,250/year and for the Master’s, it is $7,000/year.  

How does do the Diploma/Certificate programs differ from the Bachelor’s program?  The Diploma/Certificate programs provide the student with a solid foundation in theology and practical ministry, however, they involve less work and assessment than the Bachelor’s.   As a Diploma/Certificate student you attend the same classes and are expected to do the assigned reading and assigned work.  You do not write research papers.  Also, Diploma and Certificate students are not awarded a Bachelor’s degree upon completion but will receive a diploma or certificate from TLC.

If I start with the Diploma or Certificate program, can I convert it later to the Bachelor’s program?  Yes, however, because less work is required of Diploma and Certificate students, the student is awarded half-credit for classes taken. 

The catalog states that TLC’s programs award professional degrees.  What is the difference between a professional degree and an academic degree?  While TLC provides a solid theological and academic foundation, its primary goal is to equip pastors and interested lay people with a practical degree which will help them to deal with real-world issues and situations.  Our courses reflect the practical orientation of our vision.    For this reason, TLC offers a Bachelor of Christian Studies/Master of Ministry degree versus a Bachelor of Arts/Science or Master of Arts.

Who awards my degree?  TLC, in association with St. Stephen’s University, awards your Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree.  For candidates in the Diploma and Certificate programs, TLC awards your diploma or certificate.  

I noticed that the degree which is awarded is ‘recognized’.  Is this the same as ‘accredited’?  Is TLC accredited?  ‘Accreditation’ is a term used for academic status within the United States.  Our degree is awarded through a Canadian university.   In Canada, there is no official non-governmental organization which has been given the mandate to accredit universities.  Rather, it is up to each province to determine through statutory authority which institutions are granted the title ‘university’.  St. Stephen’s is recognized by the Canadian province of New Brunswick.  Since our degrees are granted by a Canadian university, we use the Canadian term ‘recognized’ rather than the American term ‘accredited’.

Will other universities recognize my degree from St. Stephen’s University?    In the United States, as in many other countries, when a degree is awarded outside the U.S., it is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Many St. Stephen’s graduates have attended graduate schools in the U.S.  For example, Fuller Seminary has agreed to accept our Master’s students into their Doctorate of Missiology program.

If I am doing a Bachelor’s, do I have to do all four years with TLC?  Currently, TLC offers the last two years, the ‘upper-division’ portion of a Bachelor’s degree, in the major subject of Christian Studies.  For your general education (the first two years), you may do your first two years at a community college, university or online.  Some full-time students may even pursue our program concurrently with classes at another institution such as a community college.  Also, you can start with our program and finish the general education requirements afterwards.   However, a degree will not be awarded until all the requirements are met.  St. Stephen’s University welcomes and encourages TLC students to attend St. Stephen’s in New Brunswick for the first two years of the Bachelor’s degree.     

Are my credits from prior education transferable to TLC?  Accredited units are fully transferable and non-accredited units can sometimes be transferred for one-half unit.  Transcripts of your prior education will be reviewed to determine the credits that are transferable and what will be required for completion of the Bachelor’s. 

Can I audit a course?  Yes.  The fee for auditing is $250/course.  In order to foster relationships and provide an intimate environment for learning, we keep the cohort/class sizes small (usually 10 students or less).   Cohort slots are given to program students first.  If the cohort is not full, we offer the available spaces to audits.  However, this is on a course-by-course basis throughout the year.  Therefore, even if you have been attending as an audit student for some time, if the cohort becomes full with non-audit students, the audit student must wait for a space to become available in the existing cohort or wait for a new cohort to develop.

I have run across the term ‘cohort’ several times on the website and catalog.  What is a cohort?  The cohort is the group of students and professor who meet weekly. The cohort is led by a qualified professor who teaches and facilitates class discussion.  Most of our professors possess a Master’s degree or above in theological education.

What can I expect to pay for the books for each course?  You can expect to pay around $50-$75 per course for new books.  You can save substantially by buying used books at Amazon.com or on eBay.

Is financing available?  Sallie Mae provides personal loans.  Cal Grant is not offering grants at this time for the TLC program.  TLC currently does not have a formal scholarship or grant program.

Is my tuition tax deductible?  The tax law changes from year to year.  Please check with your tax preparer or accountant about tuition deductions.