Affiliations

CDU is ranked one of the best online theology degrees by Forbes Advisor.

CDU is ranked in Military Times Best for Vets: Colleges, the largest and most comprehensive ranking of schools for military service members and veterans, which helps them make important decisions about their education.

CDU is a recognized member of the  Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). CHEA is a national advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation. CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.

The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has authorized Catholic Distance University to operate as a degree-granting institution of higher education in West Virginia.

The Secretary of Education has determined that Catholic Distance University is an eligible institution under The Higher Education Act of 1965. This recognition allows students to consider deferment of certain federal student loans and possible tax credits for tuition payments. These tax credits can provide dollar-to-dollar reductions in your final federal tax liability.

The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit is a tax benefit equal to 20% of a family’s tuition expenses, up to $10,000, for post secondary education and training. This includes all courses offered by CDU.

The Hope Tax Credit, worth up to $1,650, is available for first and second-year students enrolled at least half-time (as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) in a college program.

Status as a Title IV eligible school also offers some students the option to defer federal education loan payments. A deferment is a period of time during which no payments are required and interest may not accrue. CDU students who are at least half-time (as defined by the U.S. Department of Education) are eligible to apply for deferments. Requests for deferments must be certified by CDU and approved by the lender.

Students are encouraged to visit the IRS web site at www.irs.gov and talk to their accountant to learn more about possible tax credits.

CDU is an institutional participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. The State Authorization Reciprocity Agreement is an agreement among member states, districts and territories that establishes comparable national standards for interstate offering of postsecondary distance education courses and programs. It is intended to make it easier for students to take online courses offered by postsecondary institutions based in another state. SARA is overseen by a National Council and administered by four regional education compacts.

CDU is a member of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), an association of Catholic universities and Catholic institutions of higher learning founded in 1924, approved by the Holy See in 1949, and recognized as an International Non-Governmental Organization by the United Nations in 1952.

CDU is a member of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU),  which was founded in 1899 to help member institutions strengthen their stated Catholic mission and to foster collaboration among Catholic colleges and universities.

CDU is on the USCCB list of approved “degree-granting institutions of Catholic higher education in the United States.”

CDU is the only fully online Recommended College in The Newman Guide, a planning guide for those selecting authentic Catholic colleges and universities. The Newman Guide states: “Catholic Distance University has been at the forefront of providing quality, faithful Catholic teaching to students seeking flexibility. Whether for work, location, family or other reasons, more students are likely to view Catholic Distance University as a unique opportunity to receive an education that will enhance an understanding of their Catholic Faith.”

Catholic Distance University received a letter of acknowledgement and gratitude from the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.  In the letter, CDU is praised not only for its work in Catholic education and the New Evangelization, but also for its ability to reach the faithful around the world because of its unique commitment to and experience in online education.

CARA, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University, publishes an annual statistical overview of Catholic ministry formation programs for priests, deacons, and lay ecclesial ministry in the U.S. CDU consistently places among the top twelve in total degree and certificate enrollments in lay ecclesial ministry at the graduate level out of almost 200 participating programs.

Catholic Distance University (CDU) has renewed an agreement with the US Department of Veterans Affairs allowing CDU students to be eligible for Yellow Ribbon program benefits. The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008.  As a Yellow Ribbon school, veterans and their dependents can take courses at CDU with tuition expenses fully covered.

The Post-9/11 GI bill pays benefits up to the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition. Learn more about the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon program.

The Yellow Ribbon Program has a special feature that allows veterans to transfer the Yellow Ribbon Benefits to his/her dependents (spouse and child).

There are a limited number of spaces available at CDU for students who qualify for the Yellow Ribbon program. Please contact our Bursar to learn more.

CDU is now a provider of voluntary education through the Dept. of Defense and is listed as an approved provider. 

The In Trust Center for Theological Schools is a membership organization of over 230 seminaries, theological schools, and nonprofit educational institutions that have a mission of educating or forming students for ministry or related scholarship.