Extra Expenses as a BSSM Online Student

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If you’re doing BSSM Online and you pay in full, tuition is $4200. Once you’ve made that payment, you can get by in First Year without spending another dime. In Second Year, you only have to spend another $20 on a book.

But there are a few potential expenses and opportunities to give that do come up. Here are some things to be prepared for:

• Missions trips. These were not required during either of the past two school years, but if you choose to go, you’ll pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand bucks for travel, lodging, and food.
• Travel expenses to Redding. Redding isn’t an easy place to get to, so plan out your budget ahead of time if you want to attend graduation in person or go to any student gatherings! Once in a while you can find a reasonable flight directly into Redding if you’re coming from out-of-state, but many people fly into Sacramento, rent a car, and drive three hours.
• Gifts for RGP and/or student mentors. Once or twice a year, your fellow students or student mentors will probably organize a group gift for your RGP (or students will organize something for student mentors). You can give as much or as little as you like, but the gifts are often quite sizable, so be prepared. In my experience, these have ranged from restaurant gift cards to a hot tub fund. Bethel takes “generous like my Father” seriously!
• Your own copy of John G. Lake if you do Second Year. This book is not available in e-book form, so you will have to purchase the hard copy yourself. It’s available on Amazon or Christianbook.com.
• Hard copies of any books you don’t want in e-book form. All e-books are included with your tuition except John G. Lake, but it’s up to you if you prefer physical copies. E-books all come as downloads from the Bethel store.
• Donating to other people’s tuition, missions trips, etc. Several times throughout my two years, a leader or fellow student at BSSM would explain that another student needed a certain amount of money to make a payment by an upcoming deadline and ask us to help. Another time, one of our classmates was a nominee for the Kris and Kathy Vallotton award and the rest of us pooled money to buy him a plane ticket so he could go to Redding for the ceremony.

There aren’t a ton of things on this list, but be warned that these things do come up and some of them can be pretty expensive! The only item that’s required is the John G. Lake book for Second Year; everything else is completely optional. Just be aware of these opportunities so you’re prepared if you opt to participate in any of them!