NationsUniversity enrollment tops 5,000

Alan Cooper (Photo provided)

NationsUniversity, a church-supported distance-learning program that offers academic degrees in religious studies, recently reached an enrollment of  5,006 students. That’s an all-time record for the 15-year-old program, said President Alan D. Cooper.
The total enrollment represents 143 countries. About 63 percent of the student body lives outside the United States. Students in the Middle East represent more than 10 percent of NationUniversity’s student body. (Cooper spoke about this earlier this year when we interviewed him in the wake of the revolution in Egypt.)
Thirty-seven percent of NationUniversity’s students are in the U.S. Nearly 75 percent of the school’s U.S. students are incarcerated, representing more than 100 U.S. prisons.
“We are thankful for the growth of NationsUniversity and give the glory to God for leading the students to us — students who are poor, incarcerated or disadvantaged and have no other real opportunity for Christian education,” Cooper said. “We continue in prayer for these students and for the ones who will continue to find us.”
NationsUniversity offers Christian-based education without charging tuition. Using more than 50 volunteers around the world, the program offers a one-year Certificate in Religious Studies, a four-year Bachelor of Religious Studies and two graduate degrees — Master of Religious Studies and Master of Divinity.
“I would like to thank the entire NU team for the diligence that make this possible,” Cooper said. “This is truly a cooperative effort. It takes everyone from the Board of Regents to our dedicated staff and the volunteers who give a couple of hours each week to allow us to efficiently serve our ever-growing student body.”
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• Feedback
  This program provides a good alternative for nationals in foreign countries to follow a course of Bible instruction without asking for support from US churches for studies in the US from which most never return. There was even a book written in the 1960’s about how to go to the US. You get yourself converted by a protestant mission group and announce you want to enter the ministry. They send you to a liberal arts school in the US and after you obtain a BA in Bible you simply enter an MA program in a field of your choice and your US career is off to the races.
  An offering of a course of study of this sort quickly eliminates those who are not serious about Christian service in their own country. Many more turn it down than accept but those who accept are a Godsend to us. We do have one advanced student here in Brussels and he is a leader in the church.
  John Paul Hundley
  Missionary, Brussels, Belgium

  John Hundley

  September, 10 2011

  It would be great if they could post a mirror-site on servers in China. There are many that would love the education, relationships, and want to study, but are unable to scale The Great Firewall of China to see foreign sites that have been blocked.

  Andrew

  September, 15 2011

  I would agree with Andrew, that a mirror-site for people wanting to study the Scriptures through NationsU would be a fantastic and much appreciated opportunity for believers throughout China. Pray about it!

  David Stathopulo

  September, 15 2011