Specially Admitted Student Admission Steps | NorthWest Arkansas Community College

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Specially Admitted Student Admission Steps


Specially admitted students are defined as those students who have not graduated from high school or completed a GED or received an Arkansas high school diploma. Be sure to follow the steps below to become an NWACC student while earning your GED. 

Note: NWACC has a general admission policy, which means you can apply year-round. However, it is best to apply early to get the best class options.

Apply to NWACC

Choose your student path and follow the application steps. 

Credit Student

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View this video to help you apply to NWACC:

Or view the How to Apply to NWACC Help Guide to further understand the application process. 

Set up your My NWACC

Once you have been accepted to NWACC, you will receive an email with your NWACC username and password.  Set up your My NWACC immediately in order to complete the process.

Set Up Your Account

Additional documents to submit

To protect the privacy of your information and to comply with U.S. Department of Education regulations, we can no longer accept documents by email. You can submit them one of three ways:
  • Upload the document to: https://api.nwacc.edu/lss/finaid/filedropbox/
    • You must have a My NWACC Connection login to use this option
  • Bring the document to the Enrollment Support Center located on the 2nd floor of the Student Center or the Washington County location located in Springdale
  • Mail the document to NWACC, Student Records, One College Dr., Bentonville, AR 72712
  • Test scores for ACT, Accuplacer, or COMPASS (scores should be no more than 5 years old).  If you need to take the Accuplacer exam, visit our Testing Center (you must pay a $10 fee prior to taking the exam).*
  • High School Transcripts - if you are graduating from an Arkansas High School, we will retrieve your transcript through a state database.  If the transcript cannot be located, students will receive notification and will need to submit the records to the Enrollment Support Center.
  • Proof of 2 Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) immunizations for all applicants born after January 1, 1957.  Some foreign-born students may be required to submit tuberculosis screening.  Some foreign-born students may be required to submit tuberculosis screening
* All students who have not yet completed a college level math course and whose ACT Math score of 17 or below, are encouraged to take the math portion of the Accuplacer. Students testing below 19 on the Reading and/or Writing portions of the ACT are encouraged to retake the Accuplacer test to see if their score has changed or can be improved.

Submit Documents

Schedule an appointment with an advisor

Students MUST schedule an appointment with an academic advisor to be eligible for enrollment under "special admissions" status. 

Schedule an appointment

A few more steps

Complete prior to the start of the semester: 

Obtain your student ID and parking hang tag at two convenient locations:

  • Bentonville location - Becky Paneitz Student Center, Student Information, located on the first floor
  • Washington County location

Purchase your textbooks and class supplies at the Campus Bookstore - Barnes and Noble, located on the first floor in the Becky Paneitz Student Center.

Information Regarding Special Admittance Status:

  • You may enroll for classes until you have completed 12 credit hours. After the 12 credit hours have been completed, you must submit proof that you have received a high school diploma or GED in order to continue enrollment at NWACC. Re-enrollment will not be permitted until documentation is submitted.
  • By being admitted under "special" admissions, you must maintain a 2.0 GPA to continue enrollment at NWACC.
  • You will not be eligible to participate in federally funded financial aid programs.
  • You can be enrolled in GED programs and be a special admission student at the same time, as long as it isn't the same course. (For example, you cannot study mathematics at Adult Education and be enrolled in mathematics as a special admission student.) 

Technology Recommendations

Having the right computer and technology specifications can help you successfully complete your college coursework and reach your academic goals. Visit our Computers and Technology page to learn more.

Computers and Technology