Frequently Asked Questions
Find your answers here.
What is Chazak?
Chazak is an international rescue and relief organization registered as a nonprofit (501c3).
Is Chazak Academy primarily about Discipleship or first responder training?
Chazak Academy is committed to both. Our goal is build professional first responders who are like Jesus. Year 1 will be more discipleship focused, and Year 2 will be more first responder focused when you will receive first responder training and certifications. Both years will have a mix of both.
When does Chazak Academy start?
Chazak training follows the school year. Training will start in September of each year. The first training began in September 2021.
When is the application deadline?
The application cut-off date is March 1, 11:59 PM of the year you are applying for.
Can I apply only for the upcoming year? Or can I apply for a year further in the future?
You can apply for any year in the future. You'll simply specify which year you are applying for during your application process.
What are the prerequisites & requirements?
Chazak Rescue is open to Christian men and women, single or married, who are 18 years of age or older. To apply, you must meet the following criteria:
- Prior international/cross-cultural mission trip
- Able to swim 50 feet
- Able to run a continuous mile
- Current passport
- High School Diploma or GED
How are cadets chosen?
First, an applicant must pass all listed prerequisites.
Next, cadets are chosen based on a combination of previous life experiences, cross-cultural experiences, and their relationship with God. Both emotional and mental health are considered. References are contacted, leadership potential is considered, and physical fitness is taken into account when making the final cut. Based on these results, we use a rubric to select the most qualified cadets. We are only accepting 12 applicants per year.
When will I know if I have been accepted into Chazak Academy?
All cadet applicants will be notified on April 1st of the year for which they have applied of their approval status.
What will it cost to graduate from Chazak?
Cost
Year 1: $25,000
Year 2: $25,000
Year 3: $15,000
Year 4: Coming soon...
After year four, Chazak Rescue will cover all expenses incurred while serving on the field under Chazak Rescue.
Payment due dates
Year 1: $7,000 due quarterly by the following dates.
- July 1
- November 30
- February 28
- May 31
Year 2: $5000 due quarterly by the following dates.
- September 20 (First day of 2.1 training.)
- November 30
- February 28
- May 31
Year 3: $7,500 due bi-annually by the following dates.
- September 19 (First day of 3.1 training.)
- February 28
Year 4: Tracks under $10,000 due bi-annually by the following dates.
- August 28 (First day of 4.1 training.)
- February 28
Tracks over $10,000 due quarterly by the following dates.
- August 28 (First day of 4.1 training.)
- November 30
- February 28
- May 31
Are there any requirements of me to help Chazak raise funds?
All students in Chazak Academy help raise funds for Chazak. This is done in an attempt to keep tuition at the low percentage of actual training cost that it is at currently.
On top of tuition, each class needs to raise $12,000 per student per year. The total a class must raise is calculated by $12,000 X the number of students in the class, but the total is raised collectively as a team. This can be raised with either one-time donations, or monthly recurring donations.
While the total to be raised is calculated by the number of individuals in a class, the responsibility of fundraising the total amount is to the class as a whole, and accountability is to the class as a whole. Whatever is not raised, is divided evenly among the class members and added to their tuition.
Where will the Chazak training be held?
Training for Chazak Rescue will be held at various locations including:
Ebenezer Bible School
6560 York Rd
Spring Grove, PA 17362
Camp Andrews
1226 Silver Spring Rd
Holtwood, PA 17532
The King Barn
173 N. New Holland Rd.
Gordonville, PA 17529
What degrees will I get if I graduate from Chazak Rescue?
- Upon completing year two, you will receive an Associate's degree.
- Upon completing year three, you will receive a Bachelor's degree.
- Upon completing year four, you will receive a Master's degree.
We are working toward offering the following majors, however, as of now we cannot guarantee that you will receive these specific majors:
- Year 2 - Associate's degree with a focus in International Crisis Response.
- Year 3 - Bachelor's degree with a focus in International Crisis Management.
- Year 4 - Master's degree in Organizational Leadership.
How is it possible to get a degree this quickly?
Chazak Rescue is based on experiential learning. This means there will be lots of "hands on" learning. Plus, Chazak Rescue runs year around which enables you to do three semesters per year.
Can I get married while training with Chazak?
If you choose to get married while in Chazak Rescue, you may drop out at the end of any year, take the following year off, and rejoin a year later. Or, if you don't want to interrupt your training, you may get married on any extended home break (mostly between years or over Christmas) or possibly during 3.3 deployment.
I'm dating...
In the first two years, how much time will I be away from Lancaster, PA and how many weekends will I have off?
The first year looks like this:
- 8 weeks away
- 1 1/2 weeks at home
- 6 weeks in a Bible college setting in the Lancaster, PA area. Visitors are permitted and most weekends are free
- 6 months living and studying from home. Cadets will be gone approx. one week per month for various training
- 7 weeks in a wilderness location with limited interaction with friends and family
The second year looks like this:
- 4 weeks of classroom training. Visitors are welcome and most weekends are free. Location TBD
- 9 1/2 weeks deployed out of the country
- 3 1/2 weeks home over Christmas
- 11 weeks of training with visitors welcome most weeks. Some weekends are free, others are occupied with training. Location TBD
- 7 weeks deployed out of the country
- 11 weeks of training that includes approx. one month of deployment out of the country. Depending on the specialty chosen, this training would be away from Lancaster, PA
- 2 weeks of year-end debriefing ending with graduation, then a 3 week break before starting year 3
Can I apply for scholarships?
Yes, you can. In fact, we encourage you to apply for scholarships.
Please note, Chazak does not participate with the Federal Title IV financial aid program which includes PELL Grants and Federal Student Loans.
There are an overwhelming amount of scholarships available to all types of students, but the difficulty is sorting through them to find which ones fit your situation. In searching for scholarships, you need to be aware of what the organization giving the scholarship requires. Do you need to attend an accredited college or university? Do you need to submit a receipt for school expenses? How is the money awarded - to you personally or to your school?
Many scholarships depend on your unique story of your life - what you plan to do with your education, your background or challenges you are facing to attend college, your financial need, etc. There are also scholarships that are associated with businesses or organizations you have personal connections with such as your bank or credit union, your place of work, or your church or church denomination. The easiest way to start looking for scholarships is to use a scholarship search tool.
Scholarship Search Tools:
Big Future
Fast Web
Cappex
Unigo
Does Chazak accept international students?
At this time, Chazak Rescue is not certified by the U.S. Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) and therefore cannot enroll students with an F-1 or M-1 visa or issue the Form I-20 that prospective international students must use to apply for a student visa to enter the United States. For further information regarding student visas see the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Interested international students may contact Chazak directly to consider eligibility to apply for a temporary visitor visa.
Can I transfer credits from Chazak to another school or university?
If a student completes an associate's degree or bachelor's degree through Chazak Rescue and wishes to transfer to another university, the student will need to determine the admission requirements for the specific university he or she would like to attend. Many schools will have information about how much transfer credit is accepted at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Currently, Anchor Christian University (ACU) has partnerships with four regionally accredited universities and one Bible College that recognize ACU programs and extend a transfer agreement to undergraduates and graduates of ACU. Because Chazak Rescue courses are awarded credit by ACU, Chazak students also may find it easier to transfer to these schools within the agreement. If a student is interested in another university, contact the school directly to verify their acceptance of credits or a degree from a non-accredited university.
To see the ways ACU connects with other universities and schools, see their school partnerships page.
Will cadets face traumatic situations on the field?
If so, how will Chazak Rescue prepare each cadet for such situations?
Because we are targeting war zones and hard-to-reach areas, it is very likely cadets will experience trauma while serving on the field. To be proactive and detect early signs of trauma, each cadet completes weekly and yearly evaluations.
Specifically, cadets are guided in being a whole and healthy person.
At Chazak Rescue, we value creating a space where both cadets and staff are well taken care of while being able to process the realities of life.