Couples and Families

IMPORTANT: Please see the Program Options for Married Couples PDF to learn more about the choices available to couples.

The College Schedule

Classes, chapel times, and cell groups generally take place weekday mornings from 8:00 am – noon. All full-time students attend at least 12 hours of class during the week and participate in a practical training assignment with a department on campus for 10 – 20 hours per week depending on the credential being earned. Part-time students may also be engaged in practical training. Full-time students are involved in a weekly Outreach (about 4 hours per week), have regularly scheduled one-on-one meetings with a mentor, and generally have two hours of homework each evening. All students attend a weekly evening service on campus of approximately 2 hours as well. A number of breaks and special events are planned throughout each term.

Residency

Residency is not required for married couples, but it is highly recommended for those enrolling Program Options One and Two, due to the intensity of the programs and the convenience of being on campus. Contact the Admissions Office to discuss housing options and learn more about campus life.

Separation of Spouses

The college does not advocate the separation of spouses for the sake of training; therefore, American students who wish to enroll at Bethany under Program Option Four without the ability to commute home each night are not considered for admissions, except by special permissions of the Admissions Committee.

An exception is made for International students who may enroll under Option Four for a maximum of one year.

Engaged Couples

If you’re engaged and wish to enroll prior to getting married, there are several things you’ll want to keep in mind:

For all incoming students:

We strongly encourage both parties to attend Bethany if at all possible. Even if you are planning to complete a certificate only, you and your fiancée/fiancé will benefit greatly as a couple to have this year of training as a foundation for your future ministry and life as a married couple.
If you plan to get married prior to enrolling at Bethany, please note that our standard policy is that newlyweds should not enroll until close to their first wedding anniversary. This policy reflects the principal of taking an appropriate amount of time to adjust to marriage, without the additional stresses of college-level work and living in a dorm environment. You may, however, submit your applications during your engagement, indicating an enrollment date closest to your first anniversary.
If you feel that there is a compelling reason for you to enroll prior to your first wedding anniversary, you are welcome to submit a statement explaining your unique situation to the Admissions Office when you send in your applications. Exceptions to our standard policy are considered on a case-by-case basis.

For those wishing to complete the B.A. Degree in Intercultural Studies:

If you plan to complete the B.A. program, you will be spending 16 months on an overseas internship. Married couples are required to go on internship together. In order to adequately prepare for this experience, your spouse is required to enroll as a part-time student for a minimum of 2 years, even if he/she will not be a B.A. student, but a team member only. Download the Program Options for Married Couples PDF for details.
Bethany International Ministries (our sending arm, which fields interns doing the B.A. program) also holds to a policy that newlyweds be married for approximately one year before going to a Global Internship site. Please keep this in mind as you make wedding plans.
If you wish to get married sometime during your first two years of enrollment and then plan to go on internship, arrangements can be made for you to withdraw from the college for a one year leave of absence following your marriage. You would then re-enroll and go on internship with the next incoming class.

Contact the Admissions Office if you have further questions about the policies and recommendations regarding engagement and the setting of wedding dates as it relates to your projected enrollment date.

Married Couples Without Children

We strongly recommend that married couples without children both enroll as full-time students in order to take advantage of the opportunity to receive comprehensive life and missions training as a couple before starting a family. However, married couples choose from among any of the program options available to couples regardless of whether they have children.

Download the Program Options for Married Couples PDF for details.

Married Couples With Children

We welcome families! However, we do not allow both parents to enroll as full-time students if you have children under the age of 14 unless exception circumstances exist, and only by special permission from the Admissions Committee.
There are several other program options that are more conducive for students with children.

Download the Program Options for Married Couples PDF for details.

Single Parents

Single parents participate fully in all components of their chosen program, just as a single student without children would. Since childcare is not provided on campus, children must be old enough to care for themselves when their parent is fulfilling school requirements. Therefore, no single parent with children under the age of 14 will be considered for enrollment unless the parent has access to consistent childcare and receives special permission from the Admissions Committee.

Childcare

Bethany College of Missions does not provide childcare. It is the responsibility of the parents to make all childcare arrangements and to manage their family scheduling within the parameters of their college requirements.
Children are not allowed to come to class or Practical Training with their parents. Therefore, parents should think realistically about the needs of their children and the demands of college life when selecting their program. We require each couple with dependent children to schedule a phone call or meeting with one of our Student Deans before enrolling, for this purpose.

Student families enroll at Bethany every year, and typically a little ingenuity in scheduling and cooperation with others families on campus allows couples to manage childcare and schoolwork with minimal disruption to the family. The college is usually able to provide facilities for co-operative childcare among students and staff, upon request. Every effort is made to assist families with planning a schedule that will work well to balance their family needs with their college requirements.
Information on local school options for children is available upon request from the Admissions Office.

Homeschooling

Families who choose to home-school their children are welcome to arrange for use of facilities and resources on campus. It is up to each family to work within their college schedule when home-schooling.

Living Conditions

Resident married couples are typically given one bedroom, with the option of renting additional bedrooms as available. Children age 2 and younger can share a share a bedroom with you, if desired, thus keeping the cost of housing a little lower.

Couples generally share a bathroom with another couple or family; and a living room and kitchen facilities with at least one other couple or family. Unless you have a large family plan to share these spaces. In some buildings the living room and kitchen facilities may be shared between several couples. While our students find married student housing to be sufficient and often develop long-lasting friendships with one another, you will probably be more “cozy” than in your present situation.

We provide all meals in the campus dining rooms. The cost of meals for adults is included in your school fees; the cost of meals for children is based upon age. You may want to do some of your own cooking in your dorm as well. The dorm kitchens are equipped with very basic appliances (refrigerator, oven, dish washer), so if you like to cook items that require special equipment, be sure to bring it with you.

Specific information about dorm facilities and the furnishings provided in the dorms is included in pre-orientation materials or upon request from the Admissions Office.