Student Policies
It is the desire of SFBC to create an environment of scholarly inquiry within the bounds of integrity. Christian witness demands scholars present their research in truth and originality. Consequently, SFBC’s administration and faculty take very seriously the issue of academic integrity.
Academic integrity includes a wide range of activities such as writing, testing, etc. The integrity of a student’s work is violated when he/she has been involved in one or more of the following acts:
1. Cheating
Because of SFBC’s commitment to truth and moral behavior, any form of cheating will not be tolerated. A student who is suspected of cheating will be confronted, and if found in violation, will be disciplined.
2. Plagiarism
“To take ideas, writing, etc., from another and pass them off as one’s own” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1980, p. 1087). In order to avoid plagiarism, the student must cite completely and accurately all sources from which an idea or phrase originates. Plagiarism also encompasses the misuse of another’s ideas and is not isolated to words or phrases.
Undergraduate Students whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 2.0 at the end of any academic term will be placed on academic probation. Graduate Students whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below 3.0 at the end of any academic term will be placed on academic probation. Periodic meetings with the academic advisors are mandatory while remedying the situation. Tutorial services are available for all students upon formal request from our institution and seminary.
On Campus Only Students
- Attendance (“Commuter”) only – Attendance will be taken at all class sessions. A substantial portion of student grades is participation in class discussion. South Florida Bible College believes class interaction is necessary to enrich student education. Prompt and consistent attendance is expected for all students enrolled at South Florida Bible College. Chapel attendance is mandatory. On chapel nights, attendance will be taken by the students’ teachers as part of the students’ grades.
- Unexcused Absence – When a student has four (4) unexcused absences from any one course, it will result in automatic withdrawal from that course, which may result in failure of that course.
- Excused Absence – To qualify as an “excused absence”, your absence must be approved by your instructor prior to the class. Excused absences are not cause for automatic withdrawal or reduction of final score.
- Tardiness – Classes start promptly at the scheduled time. “Tardy” is defined as being at least fifteen (15) minutes late to class. Three (3) “tardies” will be counted as one (1) unexcused absence.
Students may enroll in any course on an audit-only basis. Students in an audited course will not take examinations nor be required to complete any of the assignments. However, any course taken on an audit-only basis cannot be assessed later for credit. Regular class attendance is required to maintain an audit on the transcript.
This enrollment agreement may be canceled within five calendar days after the date of signing provided that the school is notified of the cancellation in writing. If such cancellation is made, the school will promptly refund in full all tuition and fees paid pursuant to the enrollment agreement and the refund shall be made no later than thirty days after cancellation. This provision shall not apply if the student has already started academic classes.
SFBC&TS bases class standing on the number of credits earned at the beginning of any new term, as follows:
- Freshman: Less than 29 credits
- Sophomore: 30-59 credits
- Junior: 60-89 credits
- Senior: More than 90 credits
All degree programs at SFBC have core requirements. These consist of at least thirty-six credit hours of general education, and thirty or more credit hours each in Biblical and professional education. Some programs have additional requirements, such as practical, labs, and research. A portion of the academic criteria may be fulfilled through life learning credit. Regardless of the program pursued, students will be challenged and fulfilled by a course of study specifically designed for each student.
A unit of measure representing the traditional academic value of learning activities. One semester hour of credit represents approximately forty-five hours of time (fifteen hours in class and thirty hours of preparation).
Rarely is it necessary for disciplinary actions to be imposed at SFBC. When these occasions arise, SFBC follows the restoration and reconciliation process described in Matthew 18:15. Students may be placed on a sixty-day probationary period, which affords ample time for reform.
Students who receive a failing grade (“F”) in all of their courses will be required to submit documentation that they attended classes or be subject to repayment of their financial aid.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), established by Congress in 1974, was designed to protect the privacy of educational records, to establish the right of students to inspect and review their education records, and to provide guidelines for the correction of inaccurate or misleading data.
South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary employs letter grades based on a four-point grading system, scaled as follows:
Letter Grades | Numeric Scores |
A | 93-100 |
A- | 90-92 |
B+ | 87-89 |
B | 83-86 |
B- | 80-82 |
C+ | 77-79 |
C | 73-76 |
C- | 70-72 |
D+ | 67-69 |
D | 63-66 |
D- | 60-62 |
F | 0-59 |
The Registrar reports grades in writing to the students after each quarter. All work submitted to SFBC for a final grade becomes the property of the college or seminary.
All students are eligible to attend graduation ceremonies and receive the earned degrees. The following must be met to fulfill graduation requirements:
- Successful program completion (2.0 or higher).
- A passing average on all written assignments, examinations, and research.
- Completion of Christian service criteria.
- Payment of all fees.
Students may also be eligible to graduate “with honors.” A GPA of 3.75 or higher constitutes “with honors.”
Students who receive an Incomplete (“I”) grade or who repeat courses will be ineligible to receive aid beyond the time frame for completion of a degree regardless of whether they have completed the necessary course requirements for the degree.
If the student chooses to make monthly tuition payments, they must complete payments for the entire semester prior to subsequent registrations being accepted. Should the student either drop a course(s) or withdraw from all courses they are required to notify the Registrar’s office by using the appropriate form and submitting that form to the aforementioned office.
Should the student be terminated or the registration is canceled for any reason, all refunds will be made according to the following refund schedule:
- Cancellation after the third (3rd) business day, but before the first day of class, will result in a refund of all monies paid with the exception of the registration fee.
- Cancellation of the contract by the student must be made by certified mail or in person and in writing.
The college will refund:
- 100% of tuition charges if the student withdrawal takes place within five (5) calendar days after signing an Enrollment Agreement and making an initial payment.
- The Drop/Add period is the first five days of classes (Monday through Friday) close of business. There will be a refund if the student withdraws “on” or during the drop/add week.
- If the student withdraws after the drop/add week, their refund will follow the following schedule:
- 2nd Week of class – 75%
- 3rd Week of class – 50%
- 4th Week of class – 25%
- 5th Week of class and later – No refund
- If the college does not accept the enrollment, all monies paid by the student to the college shall be refunded and the student and college shall be released from further obligation.
- If a student is withdrawn from a class due to a class cancellation, the student is entitled to a full refund.
- Refunds will be made within 30 days of termination or receipt of cancellation notice.
- Subject to the date of official withdrawal, tuition and fees will be refunded according to the schedule above. Should disciplinary measures that require the withdrawal of a student the above refund schedule will apply.
Registration and application fees are non-refundable after three (3) business days and must be paid in U. S. dollars.
*All fees are subject to change without notice.
A student who has been officially dismissed for any reason from South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary will have two weeks to apply for reinstatement. The student’s entire school record will be reviewed and a personal interview with the Provost is required for reinstatement. A reinstatement fee may apply.
South Florida Bible College is a community of students, faculty, staff, and administration who are joined together for the purposes of academic enrichment, personal development, spiritual growth, and preparation for Christian ministry. Relationships and responsibilities in this community are built upon: (1) the teachings and principles of the inerrant and authoritative Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16,17), (2) the personal accountability of each member to a loving and sovereign God (1 Peter 1:17), and (3) the inner resources and attributes of the Holy Spirit to guide and minister to each other in all relationships (John 16:13,14).
Members of the South Florida Bible College community should seek first and foremost to achieve the goal of 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” All activities and relationships should seek to accomplish this ultimate objective.
A student who has not maintained satisfactory progress (Undergraduate – 2.0 GPA or better, Graduate – 3.0 GPA or better) at the end of any quarter will be placed on Academic Probation for the next quarter. If the student has not attained satisfactory progress by the end of the probationary period, the student’s educational benefits will be terminated for unsatisfactory progress. Students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy are warned and placed on probation for one term. Students who do not meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy may appeal to the financial aid committee to have their aid reinstated by submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form to the Office of Student Financial Aid along with supporting documentation of extenuating circumstance. This must be submitted in writing or electronically. This appeal must be completed within one week after the student has been denied Federal Assistance because of Standards of Progress violations. Common circumstances reviewed include:
- Death of a relative
- Personal injury or illness
- Physical disability
- Academic Petitions Committee actions
- Documentation that standards are now being met
- Documentation to revise established timeframe
- Other extraordinary circumstances
Notification of action taken by the Office of Student Financial Aid will be made by mail or by email within 20 days of the request. Financial aid will be awarded at the time of reinstatement provided funds are still available for the current academic year. All costs of attendance incurred during the period of time in which a student is not receiving financial aid are the sole responsibility of the student.
A student who has been dismissed and returns to the school may not receive federal assistance until the student has re-establish satisfactory academic progress. A reinstatement fee may apply. Students will be provided a written progress or grade report at the end of each quarter. A copy of the report will be placed in the student’s permanent file maintained by the school.
SFBC&TS’ business and student operations are designed to be administered in an atmosphere of collegiate congeniality. Civility, respect, the Golden Rule, and Christian attitudes and actions are expected of all faculty, staff and students. Whenever a situation occurs that results in a student feeling that he/she has been slighted, harassed, or abused—intentionally or unintentionally—SFBC&TS will not tolerate such behavior and will act to correct the situation. In order for SFBC&TS to officially respond, the student must submit a “Grievance Form.” The “Grievance Form” may be obtained from the Academic Dean, the Provost, the Registrar, or any staff member in the front office. The following provides the next steps required of the student who is reporting an offense.
- Complete the entire “Grievance Form” and send it to the Academic Dean. The student will be asked to meet with the Academic Dean to discuss the problem and the circumstances involving the incident(s).
- The Academic Dean will undertake the first level of response. The Academic Dean will meet and speak with the offender and inform him/her that his/her actions may be in violation of SFBC&TS’ policies. The offender will be instructed to cease any offending actions and warned not to repeat the behavior. If the offender is a SFBC&TS student, the student’s file will be annotated to reflect that he/she received an official warning regarding inappropriate behavior. If the offense continues, the Academic Dean will escalate the issue to the Provost.
- *If the offender is a member of SFBC&TS’ faculty or staff, the problem is immediately escalated to the Provost and to the president. The Provost after investigating the accusation will determine the punitive measures, if any are needed.
- If the problem is escalated to the Provost, the student offender will be counseled and warned assertively. The Provost will determine the punitive measures the student will receive, and these can include suspension and expulsion. In the event a student is expelled, no monetary refunds will be made under any circumstances. Any request by the student to reapply to SFBC&TS must be made by letter to the Provost. The Provost will determine if and under what circumstances the student may re-matriculate at SFBC&TS. If the student is permitted to reapply, the student must enroll as a first-time student and pay all applicable fees, tuition, etc.
- Any student deemed culpable of inappropriate actions may appeal the Provost’s decision to SFBC&TS’ president. The president, after reviewing all documents and interview records, may elect to speak with the student. If the president feels the process has been adjudicated appropriately, the president will uphold the Provost’s decision.
- SFBC&TS will retain all documentation on-file in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations.
This award is given annually to outstanding graduates. The selection is made by the president and faculty based on the student’s total academic experience.
Time Frame represents the maximum number of SFBC attempted credits for which the student may receive financial aid funding. For each student, Time Frame is computed individually according to the following formula:
- (Published Program Length) x 150%
Students will be ineligible to receive financial aid funding for credits attempted beyond the Time Frame maximum.
In order to evaluate your credits, we must have official transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Please complete the Transcript Request Form and send it to your current or previous school(s). Transcripts must be sent directly from the school(s) to SFBC in order to be considered official.
Graduation Rates & Affordable Tuition
Christian students have a right to know the yearly graduation rates here at the college and seminary. These annual rates can be seen on our website by Graduation Rates.
SFBC is Ranked Top 10 in Affordability and Top 1% overall among Christian Colleges in America. Here are our Tuition Rates.
SFBC takes student withdrawals seriously. Students considering such actions should seek counsel from their advisors, and especially from God through prayer. Most adverse circumstances can be resolved. Students electing to withdraw must do so in writing. Contact the Registrar’s Office to withdraw.