In the summer of 2009 Black Forest Academy established the BFA Online program in partnership with Sevenstar Academy (www.sevenstaracademy.org). We value the teacher/student dynamic that happens in the classroom setting, but we also believe there is an appropriate time and place for high quality online learning. For questions, please contact the BFA Online Coordinator: carol.bonham@bfacademy.de.
On-Campus Students
High School students enrolled on our main campus may supplement their learning by taking one or two online courses during the year. Students may request this by visiting with their Guidance Counselor. Extra fees apply. You can view a list of the courses offered.
Off-Campus Students
6th through 12th grade students residing in our service region may enroll in courses through BFA online. Our service region includes Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Student living in countries that do not allow online schooling or homeschooling will not be enrolled full time – this includes students living in Germany. If an Off-Campus student desires to earn a diploma from BFA, they must go through the full application and acceptance process before they attend our Kandern Campus. At least one year of attendance at our Kandern Campus is required to earn a BFA diploma.
You can view a list of the courses offered at Sevenstar’s website.
Policies and Procedures
I. On-Campus Students
II. Off-Campus Students
I. On-Campus Students
A. Types of Online Course Work
There are several reasons why a current day or boarding student may wish or need to take a course through BFA Online.
| Type | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Remedial | To repeat a failed course. | A student failed to meet the requirements of a classroom course and repeats the course online in order to remain on schedule. |
| Makeup | To acquire a missing credit. | A student joins BFA but is one or two credits short for graduation. Instead of repeating a full year at BFA, the student can gain the required credit online and graduate with their peers. |
| Supplementary | To take a course that BFA does not currently offer on campus. | A student joins BFA but is one or two credits short for graduation. Instead of repeating a full year at BFA, the student can gain the required credit online and graduate with their peers. |
| Enrichment | To take a special interest course that is outside of BFA’s normal offerings. | A student wishes to study a special interest course (example: AP Psychology). Like all of our online courses this would have to be approved to count toward High School credit. |
| Dual-Credit | To take a course in high school that also awards college credit. | A student wishes to take a dual-credit course while in High School that meets BFA graduation requirements while gaining early college credit. (Not all colleges will necessarily accept these courses.) |
| Long-term Absence | To allow a student who is absent from the main campus for a significant period of time to keep up with their education from a distance. | A currently enrolled student joins their parents for a half or a full academic year in their passport country but wishes to remain enrolled at BFA. This student may take a full-load of courses arranged with BFA’s Guidance Department. Upon return to BFA their credits will be fully accepted as if they had been on campus. This scenario may also apply to the student who experiences a long-term illness or a serious disciplinary setback that requires removal from campus. |
| Learning Style | To allow a student to take an online course to accommodate a learning difference. | A student gains approval to take an online math course because the online style of learning for that particular subject area is determined to be a better fit to that student’s learning style.* Again, this would have to be approved. |
| Summer School | To allow a student to advance during the summer. | A student wishes to take BFA’s AP calculus course in their senior year but is lacking the required foundational courses. Taking a summer math course will allow the student to achieve his or her goal. |
B. Course Listing
Courses offered for On-Campus students
C. Enrollment application for current students
A current student may apply to BFA Online by filling out the Online Course Request form and submitting it to the Guidance Department. Completion of this form includes a signature from both the student and parents (an email from the parents supporting enrollment can be sent in place of parental signature). Enrollment is not automatic. The Guidance Department and the program Coordinator will consider the reasons for the request, the student aptitude for online learning, and availability of time, hardware, and supervising personnel.
D. Timing of course work
BFA Guidance Counselors will assist the student and parent regarding the best time to begin an online course. In some cases summer will provide the best time for a student to take an online course. In other cases, a capable student may be approved to take an online course during the school year. Time during the school day and or an available school computer is not guaranteed. In some cases, the student may have to do online course work after school hours in the home or in the dorm.
E. Equipment Requirements
You can find the listed requirements on our Equipment Requirements page. Also, all students must sign and agree to abide by the BFA Internet Acceptable Use Policy.
F. Restrictions
- Due to schooling laws in Germany, a BFA day or boarding student may not enroll full time with BFA Online. A currently enrolled day or boarding student is limited to two courses per semester during the academic year (August to June). Students who qualify, may take more than two courses during the summer.
- Normally, it is not possible to substitute an online version of the same course offered on campus. Exceptions may be granted by the Administration, however they will be rare.
- In order to gain a BFA Diploma a student must attend school in Kandern at least one year and be enrolled either on campus or full-time at “BFA Online” during their senior year.
G. Fees
- All online courses require extra tuition fees paid to BFA. The only exception to this will be when BFA is unable to provide a teacher for a core course and offers that course to its students in online form.
- All online fees are non-refundable.
- Fees for 2012/2013 (prices subject to change): Two Semester courses are 450 Euro. One Semester courses are 350 Euro. A single AP course is 440 Euro. Two AP courses and Dual Credit courses are both 535 Euro.
- Additional fee for books and labs may be required and are the student’s responsibility.
- No refund will be awarded to a student who drops an online course. A student who drops a course after the first marking period will have the course recorded on their transcript as withdrawn passing or withdrawn failing. No credit will be awarded for dropped courses.
- A $50 fee is charged when dropping a dual credit course.
II. Off-Campus Students
A. Enrollment information
A student may enroll full-time in grades 6-12 at BFA Online after being accepted as a student at Black Forest Academy.
Participating students may reside in any country that allows home-schooling or internet schooling and where the family has an adequate internet access that meets the minimum requirements for participation. (See the Equipment Requirements page.)
B. Enrollment Application
All prospective online students must apply to Black Forest Academy using the BFA Online application.
If the student intends to come to BFA the next school year, a regular BFA Application Packet may be submitted so that the family does not have to complete two separate applications – BFA Application Packet
Acceptance to the program will be based upon the following:
- An acceptable setting conducive to learning provided by the parents
- An agreement to BFA’s Educational Philosophy. (which is at the beginning of the Student Application Packet)
- * Also, in order to earn a BFA diploma a student must meet the BFA residency requirement and attend school at the main campus for at least one of the student’s high school years, preferably grades 11-12.
- ** The student/parents must also complete the Student Application Packet to be considered for acceptance as an On-Campus student.
C. Timing of Course Work
Ideally, students enrolled full-time at BFA Online will follow the BFA school calendar. It is important that full time students stay within these general parameters in order to better transition into and out of the main campus. For example, to enroll as an 11th grader on campus all previous course work must be completed before arrival to Kandern.
D. Restrictions
Students enrolled in BFA Online may not graduate from BFA without having spent at least one full school year on our main campus. Two years is preferred.
E. Benefits
- Students are enrolled as BFA students.
- All online courses successfully completed (passing marks) will be awarded credit at BFA.
- All BFA Online credits will appear on the BFA transcript as a letter grade and be calculated into the cumulative GPA.
F. Full-time Fees
- All Off-Campus Online students must pay the BFA application fee not included in the online fees.
- No refund will be awarded to a student who drops on online course. A student who drops a course after the first marking period will have the course recorded on their transcript as withdrawn passing (WP) or withdrawn failing (WF). No credit will be awarded for dropped courses.
- Fees for 2012/2013 (prices subject to change): Two Semester courses are 450 Euro. One Semester courses are 350 Euro. A single AP course is 440 Euro. Two AP courses and Dual Credit courses are both 535 Euro.
- Dropping a Dual Credit course incurs a $50 fee.
- All online fees are non-refundable.
