As September nears, many students will anticipate returning to school.

Numerous grade schools, high schools and colleges will welcome them back for another year.

But some students will pursue a more spiritual path, seeking to study the Bible instead of secular subjects.

Until recently, those students were left with limited choices when looking for options near Butler County.

After the Vision Christian Bible Institute's six students graduated this year from the four-year accredited program, the school closed - but different types of Bible schools have appeared in its place.

The Lion's Roar International School of Ministry and the Worthington Baptist Bible Institute are both just forming, hoping students will begin enrolling for classes in the fall.

The Butler Bible Institute preceded them, first offering classes in 2003.

The Biblical Life Institute, formerly the Transylvania Bible School, has existed for 66 years in Freeport, but administrators say the school has been caught in a "Catch 22" situation with low enrollment hindering the accreditation process and lack of accreditation hindering four-year enrollment.

Although all schools hope to attract enough students to remain viable, each has something different to offer.

Lion's Roar International School of Ministry is a project of Living Waters Community Church, an independent Pentecostal church on Second Street.The new school was formed to replace Vision Christian Bible Institute, previously operated by Living Waters.With no new students enrolling after the original class of six, the school was closed this year when those students graduated."We had no new students. We had the original group that enrolled for the four-year program, and they graduated," said Pat Elliott, registrar of the new school."We really felt the reason we didn't have more people was because of the price."If someone wanted an accredited degree, they were going to other places," she said of the larger, more widely known competing colleges.Living Waters has now aligned itself with Florida-based Lion's Roar International and is opening a two-year Bible institute under that organization.Although the credits earned at Lion's Roar will not be recognized by accredited colleges or be accepted toward ordination requirements by mainstream Christian denominations, a Lion's Roar certificate would fulfill the educational requirement for becoming ordained within the Lion's Roar network.The network currently consists of about 250 affiliates, said the Rev. David Braland, president and founder. Members are accepted into the network based on shared principles about Christianity.The 250 affiliates, which are spread about 15 states and 10 nations, include about 50 churches, he said. The other members include ministry groups and individual pastors.Although Lion's Roar has existed since 1984, Braland said he expects the group to grow because he has recently retired from his job as a full-time pastor and can now devote more time to the project.The new two-year program will be offered at a price of $30 per credit hour. Costs at the former school were $85 per credit hour.Elliott and the Rev. George Bender, dean of the school, said the prices are geared toward accommodating prospective students without the means to attend or pay for a four-year school.As well of fulfilling the educational requirement to apply for ordination as a Lion's Roar pastor, the school can also aid those seeking a stronger foundation for volunteering in various ministries.Bender said a primary goal of the school is to help students identify their individual callings and to develop skills to fulfill their missions.Classes are held in the church or a nearby annex.

As the Butler school is forming, a similar one is evolving in nearby Worthington, Armstrong County. The Worthington Baptist Bible Institute is opening a non-accredited Bible college that offers a one-year program.Similar to the Living Waters program, the Worthington school would target those seeking skills for various ministries."A lot of our young people are going off to technical schools and colleges, but there is no place to study the Bible," said the Rev. Joseph Simpson, founder of the new school."So when asked to be a Sunday school teacher, they feel inadequate to do it," he added."As a pastor, you ask somebody to do a Bible lesson or to teach a vacation Bible school, and they kind of cower at it. It became obvious to me there has to be a place to train - to give them a pure foundation so they feel comfortable to do the things in their lifetime they may be asked to do."Cost to attend the Worthington Baptist Bible Institute is $30 per credit hour. Classes are held in the church on Ross Street in Worthington.

The Butler Bible Institute began offering classes in Butler in 2003.The one-year program offers courses in Hebrew, Greek and various aspects of the Bible, said Bob Ogden, president and founder.Although not currently accredited, Ogden said the school is working toward that goal - hoping to become accredited upon the graduation of its first class. A class of graduates is required in order to be accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools, he said."We do have the intention of doing an associate's degree, once we get the first class graduated," he added.Like the other colleges, Ogden said the Butler Bible Institute is not targeting those seeking four-year degrees, but instead trying to serve non-traditional students."We're focusing our attention on people who can't go to class full-time," he explained. … They must get 30 credits or more; 30 credits can take as long as it requires." The first class will graduate in August 2008, he said.The Class of 2008 comprises five students, with 11 enrolled in the Class of 2009.Not affiliated with a particular denomination, Ogden said classes are held in area churches.Students pay $50 per credit hour for the 30-credit program.

Set on 164 acres on Freeport Road in Freeport, the Biblical Life Institute is a four-year school offering full-time and part-time enrollment.Formerly called the Transylvania Bible School, the institution changed its name in 2001 in an effort to boost enrollment, said school business manager Lucille Shilling.Although the nondenominational school is working to become accredited as a four-year college by the Association for Biblical Higher Education, Shilling said the school must first meet the state requirements that go along with accreditation for a four-year school.Those requirements include a $500,000 endowment, which the school has raised; master's level professors, which are already on staff; and the equivalent of 15 full-time students.Shilling said while the student body exceeds 15, many of those students attend part-time.Tuition for the school is $1,500 per semester or $3,000 per year. Room and board runs $2,000 per year.