An online Christian university that is unapproved in several states. Caveat emptor

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https://www.11alive.com/article/news/investigations/degrees-in-doubt-a-25000-pitch-to-start-a-university-with-questionable-degrees-that-may-not-count/85-52996511-ee2b-4945-a4a8-7da3d7cfd2e6

Regardless of where a school is registered or based, the state says it must have approval or an exemption from the NPEC to award degrees in Georgia.

Author: Rebecca Lindstrom, Darrell Pryor, Ciara Bri’d Frisbie

Published: 6:00 AM EDT October 4, 2026

Updated: 6:00 AM EDT October 4, 2026

ATLANTA — There were caps and gowns, cheers from family members, and graduates proudly displaying newly awarded bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.

“I’m excited today because I’m receiving my degree in Christian counseling,” one woman said at a metro Atlanta commencement ceremony.

But several of the graduation events this summer didn’t have state approval to pass out those diplomas.

Under Georgia law, postsecondary schools offering degrees to Georgia residents must have authorization or an exemption from the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, or GNPEC. The law applies to schools physically located in the state and those offering online instruction.

Georgia law also restricts unauthorized institutions soliciting students from Georgia from using the words “college” or “university” in their names.

To get that approval, GNPEC’s current policy requires institutions offering bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees to be accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Those seeking that religious exemption must be a nonprofit and its purpose must be solely to provide programs in theology, divinity, religious education and ministerial training. It cannot award degrees of a nonreligious nature. Schools must apply to the state for that exemption and renew it.

The commission has been warning consumers about Higher Place Christian University for years. In February 2023, GNPEC warned that to the extent the school was operating in Georgia, it was doing so “without GNPEC’s permission.” That warning remains posted on the agency’s website.

Those are the rules. Here’s the reality.

Businessman Uyi Abraham runs a software and consulting company called Vonza. The platform is sold to a variety of businesses to operate, including online schools.

Abraham also started Christian College Accreditation Commission International, or CCACI, to offer accreditation. CCACI is not an accrediting agency recognized by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, CHEA.

Still, a link on the CCACI webpage takes you to a sales pitch, where for $25,000, Abraham says his organization can help entrepreneurs launch their own online Christian universities and make millions of dollars.

Scammers offering “Christian Counseling “ degrees that are useless in several locations, and selling info on how to set up these “schools” and make millions off of vulnerable Students. Not very “Christian-like”, IMO.

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Is that all they can do, warn about it?

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The program is apparently not recognized by the US DOE nor is its reported accreditor. But in some places it tries to fall under the “religious exemption”, though despite this many states would not accept graduates to apply for independent licensure. This appears to be wider than just a GA issue- it just happened to be reported in GA. Each state has its own licensure policies.

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Quick AI search (just to get an idea of the scope of states where students could not sit for licensure with this “degree”:

Georgia is especially clear

Georgia has an additional problem that is separate from professional counseling licensure.

The Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission (GNPEC) issued a consumer alert specifically naming Higher Place Christian University. It says HPCU has not obtained a Certificate of Authorization or Notice of Exemption to operate in Georgia.

GNPEC’s records also show that it sent HPCU a cease-and-desist email in December 2022.

So for someone living in Georgia, there are two separate issues:

  1. Can HPCU legally operate/award degrees to Georgia students? — GNPEC says HPCU has not obtained the required authorization/exemption.
  2. Can an HPCU counseling degree qualify for Georgia LPC licensure? — The degree’s lack of recognized institutional accreditation creates a separate and very serious obstacle.

States where I would consider an HPCU counseling degree unable to meet the normal educational requirement

Based on the current licensing rules I reviewed, the following states have requirements that make an unrecognized CCACI degree particularly problematic:

State Counselor license HPCU degree problem
Colorado LPC Requires CACREP or specified recognized accreditation
Delaware LPCMH Regionally accredited institution/recognized equivalent
Iowa LMHC CACREP required
Kentucky LPCC CACREP required
Maine LPC/LCPC Accredited program/institution requirements
Minnesota LPC/LPCC Regional accreditation/CACREP
New Hampshire LCMHC Regional accreditation/CACREP
North Carolina LCMHC CACREP requirement
Ohio LPCC CACREP requirement effective 2026
Oregon LPC CACREP/CORE or regional accreditation
Virginia LPC Regional accreditation
Georgia LPC HPCU additionally lacks Georgia authorization
Texas LPC Requires recognized regional accreditation
California LPCC Recognized institution/program requirements
Missouri LPC CACREP/CORE-related requirements
Florida LMHC Particularly problematic; CACREP pathway requirements

The 2026 50-state analysis from Palm Beach Atlantic University confirms that several states now have CACREP requirements, including Colorado, Iowa, Kentucky, North Carolina and Ohio, while other states accept an equivalent degree only when it comes from a recognized/accredited institution.

But I want to be careful with the word “cannot.” A licensing board can sometimes evaluate an unusual degree individually, and some states have alternate pathways, grandfathering provisions, or board-discretion provisions. Therefore, I would not tell a student that absolutely no person with an HPCU degree could ever obtain any counseling license in that state without a written determination from that state’s board.

There is another very important issue with HPCU

HPCU’s own materials describe its Christian Counseling degree as preparing graduates for careers including private practice, schools, hospitals and behavioral-health organizations.

But that career description does not mean the degree itself satisfies state professional-licensure requirements.

In fact, HPCU’s own accreditation disclosures say that its degrees are intended for Christian service and that it does not guarantee acceptance of its credits by other institutions.