* All fees including tuition are subject to change without notice. See fees breakdown.

RBS receives financial support from individuals and churches that view the preparation of gospel laborers as a facet of the Great Commission. Consequently, the seminary can provide theological training at a reduced rate. The more quickly the student is able to complete his degree the lower the overall expenses will be. Every student whose church supports RBS through the Church Partnership Program will be exempt from tuition expenses (see Church Partnership Program [CPP] for more information).

Here are the expense scenarios for the Certificate, Marrow, and Divinity programs. These breakdowns do not include the cost of books, as these depend on various factors.

24-credit Certificate of Reformed Baptist Studies (CRBS)

34-credit Marrow of theology program (MTS/DTS)

60-Credit Scholar’s Program (MABS/MATS)

63-Credit Biblical Counseling Program (MABC)

The Biblical Counseling program consists of 34 RBS credits, like the Marrow Program, plus an additional 29 credits from CCEF. Thus, on top of the 34 credits earned directly from RBS The required CCEF credits will cost roughly $6300, and the ACBC certification approximately $1300. See here for details.

97+ credit Divinity program (MDiv/BDiv)* 

Application Fee

The application fee is paid online at the time of submitting your application.

Administrative Tuition

Some of our courses carry a lower administrative tuition instead of the regular tuition rate. This lower tuition rate is often used for practicum courses, or when a student takes a proficiency exam version of a course in order to pass a language exam instead of taking the full course. The administrative tuition covers our administrative costs and is charged instead of the normal tuition costs. Examples include: Ministerial Practicum, Preaching Practicum, Introduction to Counseling, Counseling Practicum, language proficiency exams taken in the place of a full language course, and our Advanced Placement Practicums for those who are upgrading their degrees.

Semester Enrollment Fee

Every semester the student is enrolled in one or more credits (or working on an incomplete from the previous semester), a semester enrollment fee is charged. The semester enrollment fee and tuition are due before the first day of the semester.

Students may request the two-payment plan for the semester enrollment fee only. Students who request the two-payment plan when they register will be charged an additional $10. For the two-payment plan, half of the enrollment fee is due before day one of the semester and the other half is due before 60 days into the semester. See our Late Payment Fees policy for more details.

Students who pay their semester enrollment fees and tuition on time have the option to drop a course by the 5-week add/drop deadline (see refund policy below) without it affecting their transcript. Students can also add more courses up until the add/drop deadline (see academic calendar). After the add/drop deadline, students will receive a "W" on their transcript if they drop a course. To avoid this, students may also apply for an extension at the end of the semester (see below). Students who wait to register for a course after the semester starts (but before the add/drop deadline) will incur a late fee if their semester enrollment fee was not paid on or before the semester start date. There is no late fee for adding a course before the add/drop deadline if the semester enrollment fee was paid on time.

Resource Fee

To facilitate theological research, RBS subscribes to various scholarly journals, commentaries and thousands of other online resources and tools. The Resource Fee is used to cover subscription costs and provide the student with necessary source material to do his own research and write theological papers. This fee does not apply to students completing the Certificate Program.

Add/Drop Policy and Fees

The add/drop fee is $10 per course. This fee is imposed on new and returning students after their respective registration periods close. New students have five weeks from the start of the semester to register for classes. Returning students must register during the self-registration period in their current semester. Once the registration period closes (see academic calendar), an invoice is created for tuition and enrollment. The invoice due date for returning students is set at the first day of the semester (with exceptions for the 2nd payment for students who request the two-payment plan for the semester enrollment fee). The due date for invoices for new students is normally 15 days from the date the invoice is created (when they finish registering). Once the invoice is created, an add/drop fee of $10 per course will be added to the student’s account for every course that is added or dropped. Adds and drops must be completed through RBS staff, since self-registration will not be available to students after self-registration closes. Adds and drops are allowed until the withdrawal deadline, which allows the student to drop a class without any impact on their transcript (note the refund policy below). After the add/drop deadline, a student may still drop a class, but will receive a “W” on their transcript (indicating “withdrawal”), as long as they withdraw before the withdrawal deadline (see below and see academic calendar). After the withdrawal deadline, a student must either complete the course or apply for an extension (see here), as they will receive a grade for whatever is completed at the end of the semester unless an extension is granted.

Mid-Semester Withdrawal Policy

Courses dropped before the add/drop deadline do not impact the student’s transcript. However, a student may still wish to drop a class after the add/drop deadline, in which case a “W” will be indicated on the transcript, but only if the class is dropped before the mid-semester withdrawal deadline. No class may be dropped after the withdrawal deadline. After the withdrawal date, a student will receive a grade for their course, whether finished or unfinished, unless they apply for and are granted an extension (see “Course Extensions” below). For specific dates of these deadlines in a given semester, see our academic calendar. The same add/drop fee applies to withdrawn courses.

Mid-Semester Add Policy

Students, who fully complete one course before the mid-semester withdrawal deadline, may request to add an additional course. Since self-registration will not be available, the student must request to add the course via the Student Area. No student will be able to add a new course if they have not fully completed another course before the mid-semester withdrawal deadline. The student should only request to add a course if they are confident they can complete the course within the same semester. The mid-semester add policy is provided as a courtesy to students who prefer to focus exclusively on one class at a time and are able to complete one course in the first half of the semester, and wish to complete another course in the second half of the same semester.

Course Extension Fees

Students may apply for one extension for each course they are unable to complete by the end of a semester. Approval of a course extension obligates the student to enroll and pay the semester enrollment fee for the next semester, even if only to complete the course for which an extension is being approved. For each approved course extension, the student will receive an “I” (incomplete) until the course is completed, at which point the transcript will be updated. Only one extension may be approved for each course, giving the student no more than one additional semester (maximum) to complete the course. Normally, a student will be given only half of the next semester to complete a course they were given an extension for. If a course extension is granted, the student will be charged a $50 extension fee per course, along with the current semester enrollment fee for the next semester, both of which must be paid within 15 days of approving the extension. To apply for a course extension, please complete the request form in the Student Area.

Live Module Fees

Students (and auditors) who attend a live module are charged a module fee. This fee varies depending on the length of the module and whether the student is attending or live-streaming the module. Degree-seeking students who want to apply their attendance of a live module to one of their for-credit courses in a degree program still need to register and pay tuition to access the full course materials and assignments in Populi.

Thesis Advisory Fee

Students enrolled in the thesis-based Divinity track are required to pay a one-time thesis advisory fee of $600. This fee shall be used to remunerate the student’s advisor for his guidance and grading services and to cover any administrative expenses. Additionally, the student must pay the semester enrollment fee as long as it takes him to complete the thesis.

Graduation Fee

Students must submit an intent to graduate form at the beginning of the semester in which they plan to graduate. After running a degree audit and confirming the student is on track to graduate, we will mail a diploma after grades are finalized. The $100 graduation fee covers our processing and shipping costs. For Certificate students, the graduation fee is $50.

Program Change Fee

Program change requests require additional processing time for eligibility verification and course mappings. If the student decides to change from one academic program to another, upon approval of the Program Change request (found under the Student Area), a $15 processing fee is invoiced to the student’s account.

Transcript Fees

Graduating students receive one free official transcript in the mail with their diploma. Subsequent transcript orders should be made by the student in their Populi account. A transcript mailed with normal shipping is $10, whereas expedited shipping is $20.

Auditor Fees

As of February 1, 2019, auditing is free. Auditors have access to the syllabi and all lectures but not exams, quizzes or other assignments. To start auditing a course, see our Auditor Site.

Application fees are non-refundable. 80% of the semester enrollment fee may be refunded if the student withdraws within the first 30 days of the semester. After 30 days, the semester enrollment fee is non-refundable.

Tuition is 100% refundable within the first 30 days of the semester, provided that no coursework has been graded. After 30 days, no more than 80% of tuition will be refunded. The exact amount of the refund depends on the amount of the course the student completed and is at the discretion of the Dean. After 45 days, no tuition will be refunded.

The Resource fee has the same refund policy as tuition.

Extension fees (including the semester enrollment fee) are refundable within 30 days of applying for a course extension.

Students have a 15-day grace period (from the invoice due date) to pay all fees and tuition. If needed, the student must request the two-payment plan when they register for classes. A $50 late fee will be added if any overdue invoices are still unpaid after the grace period. Students will be locked from all enrolled courses if they have not paid all fees and tuition by 30 days into the semester (or the 1st half of their enrollment fee if they requested the two-payment plan at registration). An overdue student balance will incur an additional $50 late fee per month. This policy applies to all fees that a student does not pay on time (e.g. extension fees).

In additional to substantially lower tuition costs, RBS offers a limited amount of scholarships on a year-to-year basis. The scholarships are based on need and merit, and are normally limited to students whose churches cannot afford to help them financially. Below are the scholarships currently being offered by RBS.

Carol Woodington Scholarship

Two $750 annual scholarships for any international student. The scholarship is based on financial need and merit. The recipient must maintain a minimum of 6 credits/semester (or 12 credits/annum) and a 3.0 GPA.

JOHN KORTIE SCHOLARSHIP

Up to two $1,000 annual scholarships for any Biblical Counseling program student. The Kortie Scholarship is based on financial need and merit. The recipient must maintain minimum of 8 credits/semester (or 16 credits/annum) and a 3.0 GPA.

Dean’s Scholarship

One $1,000 annual scholarship for any Divinity student who is preparing to be a pastor-scholar. The Dean’s Scholarship is based on financial need and merit, and it will be awarded to a student who plans to pursue an advanced degree after completing his studies with RBS. The recipient must maintain 9 credits / semester (or 18 credits / annum) and a 3.5 GPA.

President’s Scholarship

Up to two $1,000 annual scholarships for any counseling or divinity student preparing to enter into full-time pastoral ministry, church-planting, or missionary work. The President’s Scholarship is based on financial need and merit. The recipient must maintain 6 credits / semester (or 12 credits / annum) and a 3.0 GPA.

After the scholarship year expires, the student may reapply for the same scholarship using the shorter Scholarship Renewal Application.

Guidelines & Expectations

For further information on how to get started and successfully complete the program, please see the "Guidelines & Expectations" handbooks for students and mentors on our apply page. If you still have questions, please contact us.

RBS has a non-discriminatory admissions policy as to race, sex or handicap for all degree programs not related to the ordained offices of the church. The seminary is convinced that the Bible prohibits women from teaching or exercising authority over men in the church. Therefore, only men will be admitted to the seminary as candidates in programs such as the Master of Divinity (MDiv) or Bachelor of Divinity (BDiv) degrees that prepare the student for the office of teaching elder or church planter (whether domestic or foreign, i.e., missionary). 

Nevertheless, the Scriptures do encourage women to grow in their knowledge of biblical truth (Acts 2:41–42; 1 Tim. 2:11), and the New Testament provides examples of women receiving instruction from the Lord Jesus and from his apostles (Luke 10:38–42; John 4; Acts 2:41–42). Moreover, while the Bible prohibits women from teaching or exercising authority over men in the church, it does not prohibit them from sharing the faith (Luke 2:36–38; John 4:28–29, 39; Matt. 28:1–10; Mark 16:1–11; Luke 24:1–11; John 20:1–2; Heb. 5:12), instructing children or fellow women (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim. 1:5; 3:15; Titus 2:3–4), or even sharing biblical truth with men in a non-formal, auxiliary, and subordinate fashion (Acts 18:26). Accordingly, women (and men) are encouraged to apply to RBS for non-divinity programs.

Requirements for Marrow and Counseling Programs

Normally, only men or women who are eighteen years of age, who are members in good standing of an evangelical church, and who have the commendation of their pastor(s) shall be eligible to enroll in the Marrow of Theology or the Master (or Associate) of Arts in Biblical Counseling.

Requirements for Divinity Program

RBS usually advises the student to complete the Marrow program first. Once that program is completed, the credits can be transferred into the Divinity program. Only men who are at least twenty-one years of age, hold a Bachelor’s Degree, are members in good standing in an evangelical church, and are recognized ministerial aspirants or already engaged in Christian ministry shall be eligible to enroll in the Divinity program. RBS reserves the right to waive any or all of these requirements if doing so is deemed appropriate. Each applicant will be considered and assessed on an individual basis. Possible reasons for waiving these entrance requirements include the following:

1. The applicant is in the process of obtaining a Bachelor’s degree.

2. The applicant has completed at least five years of full-time Christian ministry experience or has educational experience equivalent to 128 credit hours of undergraduate training.

3. The applicant’s current age, family needs, and/or vocational responsibilities make it difficult or impossible to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. In such cases, the student may be allowed to enroll in the seminary and will be awarded the Diploma of Theological Studies (DTS) and/or Bachelor of Divinity (BDiv) degree upon completion of the program(s). Students graduating with the BDiv degree may later request to upgrade that degree for a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree (or request a DTS be upgraded to a MTS) after completing at least five years of full-time Christian ministry. To pursue your degree upgrade, please see the Student Area for further information.

4. The applicant is enrolling into the Marrow of Theology program for the Diploma of Theological Studies.

Those accepted into the seminary without a Bachelor’s degree or with a previous GPA below 3.00 will be placed on academic probation. Those on academic probation must maintain a cumulative grade average of at least 3.00 for the first ten credit hours of coursework in order to demonstrate that they have the necessary discipline and academic ability to handle the work. The seminary may drop the student from the program if he fails to maintain a 3.00 GPA after the first 10 credit-hours of coursework. 

Applicants whose first language is not English may be required to take the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). The required scores for the iBT (Internet Based Test) version of TOEFL is 94 or higher. The exam can be taken online through Educational Testing Services.

Credit Transfer

Students seeking to transfer credit earned from other institutions should request that those institutions send an official transcript to RBS. See here for more details.

After receiving your application, the seminary dean will contact you and set up a time for a phone or video interview with you and your mentor. During the interview, the dean will notify you if your application for enrollment is approved. If you are accepted after our new student enrollment deadline, your enrollment in the seminary will begin the next available term.