Northwest Shoals Community College has an open-door admission policy for all U.S. Citizens and eligible Non-Citizens and provides higher education for individuals who meet minimum admission requirements as set forth by the policies of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS). No student shall be discriminated against on the basis of any impermissible criterion or characteristic including, but not limited to, race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, disability, gender, age or any other protected class as defined by federal and state law.
Required Admission Documentation:
The requirements for admissions are determined by the Alabama Community College System Board of Trustees.
1. Northwest Shoals Community College Application for Admission (may be submitted electronically found on the NWSCC website.) and submit appropriate documentation as required by student type.
*** All international applicants must provide a VISA acceptable to the United States.
2. Official high school transcript with posted graduation date or GED certificate with passing scores (students who have earned a Baccalaureate Degree are not required to submit a high school transcript) - *Non-High School Graduates/Non-GED may be admitted to non-degree and career pathways programs as defined under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and by the federal Pell Grant Ability-to-Benefit criteria. This selection of students must coordinate admission through the Adult Education Department and the Admissions Office of Northwest Shoals Community College. The "Career Pathways Waiver Form" must be submitted to the Admissions Office by a representative of Adult Education for an admission decision.
3. Official college transcripts (if applicable)
4. Approved Transient Letter (if applicable)
Admission to the College does not mean acceptance or admission to certain health-related education programs in the College such as health-science programs, which may have additional standards for admission and progression.
Applicants should refer to the program descriptions in this Catalog and/ or contact the specific program director/chairperson for additional information. Any and all elements of admission requirements are subject to change with prior notice.
Admission Status:
There are two types of admission status: unconditional, conditional, and pending.
1. Unconditional status (UA): Students who have submitted all required documentation may be admitted unconditionally.
2. Conditional status (CA): Students who have not submitted all required documentation may be admitted as conditional status. Failure to provide documentation by the end of the first semester of enrollment will prevent a student from future registration and official transcript release. Students with a conditional admission status are not eligible for federal financial aid.
3. Pending status (PN): Applicants who are planning to attend the college as a transient student (a student currently enrolled in another college) remain in a pending status until both proof of identification and a transient letter are received. Once those items are received, the applicant will be changed to an unconditional student status.
Admission of Distance Education Students:
Students interested in taking distance education courses should follow the regular admissions and financial aid processes. Students may contact these offices by phone and email as well as virtual or in-person appointments. New or returning students who have never taken a distance education course at the College should complete the Virtual Learning Guide located in the learning management system by the first day of class. This orientation gives students valuable information about the learning management system, technology requirements, student services, learning resources, and how to be a successful online student. Students will be provided with a secure login to access the learning management system and myNW-SCC.
To protect students located outside the state of Alabama who may take distance education courses, NWSCC has joined the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC-SARA). This enables students to take distance courses with us who are located in other states. However, it is recommended that students located in other states or outside of the U.S. contact the Distance Education Department before enrolling to discuss the student's future college plans as some programs may have additional requirements. Students enrolling in the blended NAS100 (CNA) course must complete clinical requirements in the state of Alabama; this program prepares students to take both the written and skills examinations required by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) to be a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) in the state of Alabama. It does not prepare students for certification in states other then Alabama.
NWSCC must provide enrolled and prospective distance education students with information on filing complaints or grievances with the college, with its accrediting agency, and with the appropriate state agency for handling complains in the student's state of residence/location. Please review the information in our Distance Education Student Handbook for details.