What to Do as a Christian Organization and Online Christian University in Florida

✓ Keep

your Florida religious educational exemption affidavit current under Florida Statutes § 1005.06(1)(f).

✓ Limit

degree programs to qualifying religious-vocation education within the scope of the religious exemption.

✓ Use

religious modifiers consistently on covered degree titles, diplomas, and transcripts (e.g., Divinity, Sacred Theology, Religious Studies).

✓ Clearly Disclose

your Florida exemption status and your verified accreditation status (if accredited) in all publications and on your website.

✓ Publish

tuition, fees, refund policies, and a student complaint procedure before enrollment or collection of tuition.

✓ Maintain

admissions records, faculty qualifications, curricula, student transcripts, and financial records.

✓ Keep

nonprofit governance, donations, payroll, and school finances documented and in compliance with applicable laws.

✓ Review

online students' locations and applicable requirements, and provide accurate disclosures about the scope and recognition of your programs.

What to Avoid as a Christian Organization and Online Christian University in Florida

✗ Don't

call a religious exemption accreditation. A state religious exemption is not institutional accreditation.

✗ Don't

offer secular degree titles (e.g., B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., Ph.D., Ed.D.) under a Florida religious exemption.

✗ Don't

present honorary degrees as earned degrees. Clearly identify honorary distinctions and do not represent them as completion of a degree program.

✗ Don't

claim that ministry certificates automatically grant professional licenses (e.g., counseling, teaching, healthcare, chaplaincy).

✗ Don't

promise that other schools, employers, or licensing boards will accept your credits or degrees. Acceptance is determined by the receiving organization.

✗ Don't

treat all tuition as tax-deductible donations. Tuition is generally not a charitable donation, even if the institution is a 501(c)(3) organization.

✗ Don't

mix personal and university funds or allow private inurement. Keep institutional finances separate and properly documented.

✗ Don't

assume that an online school is exempt from consumer protection laws, disclosures, or other applicable federal and state laws.