Pastors: ask about how you can earn your degree at no cost by hosting classes at your church. Contact the registrar's office to learn more.
The process
Your first steps begin here
Submit your application before the beginning of the first class of the term.
Apply
Complete the enrollment application. A high school diploma or GED is required. If you are a former TBI student who has been away for one or more terms, please resubmit an application.
Choose how you will study
In-person at one of our campuses or satellite locations, virtual on a live schedule, or flex-path at your own pace with course materials emailed to you. You can change formats between terms.
Take the technology check
Ten minutes, and nobody can fail it. It tells the registrar’s office whether your coursework should come to you on paper, by email, or in the student portal. No program at TBI requires you to own a computer — the Institute mails materials to anyone who needs them. Take the technology check.
Send transcripts
Have your high school or GED transcript mailed directly from that institution to the TBI Admissions Office. If you have completed college or Bible school coursework, send those transcripts too — those credits may transfer and shorten your program. Home school students should submit transcripts from any schools attended, plus the home school curriculum, graduation requirements, and proof those requirements were met.
Send life credits
If you have ministry experience or training you would like considered for credit, send your life credits with the appropriate signature to the Elizabeth City address.
Register and pay
Choose your courses from the catalog, add them to your cart, and pay tuition and fees online by card. The registrar’s office can also take a payment over the telephone or set up a payment plan.
Tuition and fees
Priced so that cost is not the reason you stay home
Tuition is charged per credit at the rate for your program level. Auditing a course costs $5 less per credit than taking it for credit.
| Credential level | Credits | Per credit | Application fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate programs | 30 | $50.00 | $25.00 |
| Associate degrees | 60 | $50.00 | $25.00 |
| Bachelor degrees | 120 | $60.00 | $25.00 |
| Master of Theology degrees | 180 | $70.00 | $35.00 |
| Doctor of Theology degrees | 240 | $80.00 | $35.00 |
Technology fee
Charged once a year, not once a term. Covers the student portal and use of the TBI library collection at 714 Richardson Street.
Audit & special rates
Audited associate courses are $45.00 per credit. Reduced tuition is available to seniors aged 60 and over, veterans and married couples studying together. The registrar’s office confirms eligibility — there is no code to enter, and the rate is applied for you at checkout.
| Other charges | Amount | When it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Late registration | $20.00 | Permitted up to the second week of class |
| Late payment | $20.00 | If tuition is not paid in full by the first day of the course |
| Graduation, flat rate | $45.00 | Plus a fee covering cap, gown and the degree |
| Certificate | $15.00 | First certificate; $5.00 for each additional one |
| Transcript request | $15.00 | Per copy, submitted with the request form |
| Course material replacement | $15.00 | If you cannot locate your materials |
| Returned check | $25.00 | Plus the face value of the check |
Tuition is set by the program you are enrolled in, not by the course. A 2-credit course is $100.00 for an associate student and $160.00 for a doctoral student. Fees are not charged every term: the technology fee is annual, and the application fee is a one-time charge when you apply. Example for a new associate student’s first term: $100.00 tuition plus a $25.00 application fee and the $60.00 annual technology fee — $185.00 to begin, with later courses that year charged tuition only. Questions about fees go to the Office of the Registrar at (252) 599-5272.
Transfer credit and life credit
If you have completed coursework at a college, Bible school or seminary, those credits may transfer and shorten your program at TBI. Send official transcripts directly from that institution and the Director of Academic Services will evaluate them.
Life credit is evaluated separately. Ordination, years of ministry service, and formal training you have completed may also count toward your program. Submit your life credits with the appropriate signature to the Elizabeth City address.
There is no charge to have transcripts evaluated. If you are not sure whether something will count, send it — the worst outcome is that it does not.
Books are not included in tuition
Your course materials — lessons, handouts and assignments — are emailed to you at no additional cost. That is covered by the technology fee.
Any required textbooks are separate. You purchase those yourself from Amazon or any bookseller you prefer, which means you are free to buy used copies, rent, or use a digital edition to keep the cost down. The required book list is in your course syllabus, which comes with your course materials, so you can price it out before you begin.
Most courses require one or two books. If cost is a barrier, call the office before you skip a course — the school can often help.
Financial help
If the cost is still a hurdle
TBI keeps tuition low rather than relying on federal aid, which means there is no lengthy FAFSA process to work through. What we do have is flexibility.
Payment plans can be arranged through the Office of the Registrar. Churches frequently sponsor members in training, and we are glad to invoice a sponsoring congregation directly. If you are called to this and cannot see the way to pay for it, call us before you give up on it.
Refund policy
An obligation to pay tuition and fees in full is incurred when you enroll in or add a course. If you drop credit hours, your obligation is adjusted on this schedule:
- 75% refund through the 1st class
- 50% refund through the 2nd class
- No refund after the 2nd day of class
If you do not receive an expected refund, or the amount differs from what you expected, you may request a conference with the Office of the Registrar.
Office of the Registrar
Transformational Bible Institute
714 Richardson Street
Elizabeth City, NC 27909