Online Group Program
The Online Group Program allows a church to register a group of students for online courses. Portland Bible College runs all the academic components, while the local church implements the mentoring and practical experience components of the student’s education.
Calendars & Deadlines
Online groups will follow the calendar dates and deadlines of the PBC Online Program semester, including semester start and end dates, and assignment due dates. Students must meet the deadlines and academic policies of the PBC Online program.
Registration
The online group leader must submit the Registration Form (Excel sheet) with all the required information to the PBC Registrar no later than one week prior to the start of the online term. Any changes to course registrations must be submitted in writing and emailed to us.
Release of Grades
Due to the Student Privacy Act, the student’s academic file is handled in a confidential manner. Therefore, student progress reports and course grades can only be released to Church Program Administrators when a student has a signed Release of Information Form on file at PBC and lists the specific people to release the information to.
Finances
Online groups receive a 15% discount on tuition rates for the online program. Fees are not discounted. Payment to PBC is made at one single point in the middle of the semester for all participating students. The local church Program Administrator can charge local students whatever they want, but must collect the money directly from students. Click here for current tuition rates.
Communication
The Church Program is responsible for communicating all the policies and expectations of a student’s participation in the Online Program. The Church Program Group Administrator should be sure to communicate to students on the following topics:
- Registration Deadlines
- Course Start and End Dates
- Getting Course Materials (Syllabi, Assignment Matrix, Books)
- Making Payments and Payment Due Dates
The PBC Online Team will communicate directly with students on the following occasions:
- Communication to get started in online course
- Gaining access to online courses
- If technical difficulties are experienced when taking courses
- Reminders for missing coursework
If PBC experiences a conflict or difficulty with a student who is part of an Online Group, PBC Staff and Faculty will do their best to communicate that through the Church Program Group Administrator.
Transferability
Students enrolled in online courses at Portland Bible College are considered PBC students–they can request PBC Transcripts and take advantage of PBC Transfer Agreements. Request a PBC Transcript here.
Take the next step in the journey
to building the local church
For over 50 years, Portland Bible College has been partnering with churches to build discipleship pipelines to help build healthy and vibrant local churches around the world.