FAQs
What is your annual tuition?
What curriculum do you use?
Do you provide the curriculum?
My student is an athlete who plans to play a college sport. Does your program meet the requirements of the NCAA Eligibility Center?
Are you accredited?
Does Academy Northwest receive government funding?
How do I choose an Academy Northwest (ANW) teacher?
Do you offer scholarships?
Why would I choose to enroll my children in Academy Northwest when I could home-educate independently? What are the benefits of a private school extension program?
How long has Academy Northwest existed?
Do you have a graduation?
Can I enroll after the school year has begun?
What does full enrollment entail?
What if I only want a little bit of help?
Must fully enrolled students who reside in Washington State file a Declaration of Intent (DOI)?
What are the legal requirements to homeschool in Washington State?
Can I still be enrolled in ANW if I live outside of Washington State?
Must the parent or student be a Christian to enroll?
How can I start a learning center in my area?
What is your social media moderation policy on the official ANW channels?
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What is your annual tuition?
Though most private schools can give a specific amount, this question is difficult to answer due to the unique features of the Academy Northwest program. Generally, our tuition is 50 to 75 percent less than most private schools. The amount varies by grade level, the ANW teacher, and the services requested. Each learning center sets its own fees. Contact the learning center you are interested in for more information.
What curriculum do you use?
Academy Northwest does not require students to use specific curricula or resources. Home education is so effective because of its adaptability to meet the student’s learning needs. ANW seeks to maintain this flexibility for our students. The ANW teachers assist parents in selecting resources that will work best for the student. Classes taught at the learning centers will often require specific resources.
Do you provide the curriculum?
This depends on the class. Your ANW teacher will communicate with you about who is responsible for providing the curriculum during the Pre-Registration interview.
My student is an athlete who plans to play a college sport. Does your program meet the requirements of the NCAA Eligibility Center?
Yes, we can help your student receive NCAA approval. Due to the nature of our individualized program, the NCAA has a designation of “Pending Individual Review” for each eligible course. Please notify your ANW teacher as soon as possible when a student decides to pursue college sports to start the process.
Are you accredited?
Yes, Academy Northwest is fully accredited through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) and Cognia.
Does Academy Northwest receive government funding?
Academy Northwest does not receive government funding to support its private school or learning centers. The autonomy enables the teachers and parents to choose a curriculum without considering governmental regulations, requirements, or limitations. The absence of government funding allows for greater flexibility in tailoring an individualized educational experience rooted in a Christian foundation.
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How do I choose an Academy Northwest teacher?
Visit the Learning Centers page and select any of our teachers within a reasonable commute distance from your home and who work in the grade range of your child. Interview the ANW teachers over the phone to learn about their particular services and fees and to determine whether they would be a good educational fit for your child.
Do you offer scholarships?
Some learning centers offer scholarships. Please speak directly to an ANW teacher about this. You may also earn tuition credits for referring new families to the Academy Northwest program for the new school year.
Why would I enroll my children in Academy Northwest when I could home-educate them independently? What are the benefits of a private school extension program?
Many families effectively educate their children on their own. However, a formal private school extension program offers significant benefits, such as having a certified teacher who can:
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Assist parents in developing an improved education plan for the student.
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Challenge students by “raising the bar” by requiring them to re-do an assignment or complete demanding projects, term papers, oral presentations, or courses.
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Urge a student forward on the parent’s behalf when a child struggles to complete assignments on time.
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Provide ideas on how to help a student with academic struggles.
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ANW maintains a membership with the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI). This accreditation service provides many opportunities to fully enrolled ANW students and their families.
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Speak into a teen’s life regarding life preparation for work or college.
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Our accredited programs assure that all doors will be open to your student in the future. You can read more about this HERE.
Academy Northwest also provides high school students with an official transcript. Even though a family may save money by home-educating independently, having an official transcript gives students access to more college scholarships than those with a parent-created transcript.
How long has Academy Northwest existed?
Academy Northwest started in 1989 with a few experienced classroom teachers who wanted to avoid putting their children into the system they had left. So, they blended home education with private education and invited others to join them. The name has undergone some changes, but the core essentials have remained the same while the school constantly improves the program and services available.
Do you have a graduation?
Yes, we host a graduation ceremony for all our graduates each year. Please see our Graduation page for more details.
Can I enroll after the school year has begun?
Yes, in most cases, “catch-up” instruction may be needed if enrolling in a class that has already begun.
What does full enrollment entail?
The ANW teacher works with the parent to help plan the student’s learning program. During the planning stage, the ANW teacher and the parent will determine which parts of the student’s learning program will be taught by the ANW teacher, which subjects will be conducted by others (for example, co-op classes, Running Start, or community programs in music, dance, or sports), and which courses will be taught by the parent. The ANW teacher oversees the learning program while collaborating with the parent, who coaches and supervises the student with the daily work.
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The student and the ANW teacher must meet at least one hour weekly, either in a class setting or one-on-one. Through quarterly conferences and ongoing communications, the teacher works with the parent and student to adjust the program if something isn’t working.
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For high school students, the ANW teacher submits course grades and credits each semester to Academy Northwest to build a transcript for that student. The ANW teacher and the parent prepare an annual assessment for nonhigh school students. ANW provides annual achievement testing, but fully enrolled ANW students are not required to participate.
What if I only want a little bit of help?
ANW teachers can provide instruction for only one or two courses per semester. For high school students, the ANW teacher will only submit grades for these courses, and only these courses will appear on the Academy Northwest transcript.
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Some ANW teachers offer tutoring and enrichment classes. Check with individual ANW teachers for these services.
Must fully enrolled students who reside in Washington State file a Declaration of Intent (DOI)?
No. Under state law, fully enrolled students are classified as private school students and do not fall under the home-based instruction law.
Parents are not prohibited from filing a DOI, if that is a requirement for participating in a given support group or co-op.
What are the legal requirements to homeschool in Washington State?
Washington State offers three options for homeschooling: Independent home-based education, private school extension programs (hybrid homeschool programs), or part-time at a public school. For more detailed information on the state law, please see this overview.
What about programs offered by the public schools?
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Public school at-home services or online schools are not part of the Washington State home-based instruction law but fall under “Alternative Learning Experience” (ALE) programs, which the state funds. Families participating in these programs must follow public school legal constraints, including not using any religious curriculum, as full-time students are legally public school students. Click here for a full explanation.
Can I still be enrolled in Academy Northwest if I live outside Washington State?
Yes. Your student may enroll with an ANW teacher online.
Note: Students who live near a Washington State border may have an ANW teacher nearby.
Must the parent or student be a Christian to enroll?
No, but please be aware that all instruction will be presented from a biblical worldview. Furthermore, all students’ and parents’ behavior must comply with Academy Northwest standards. Please see the family handbook.
How can I start a learning center in my area?
Academy Northwest is not limited to a building. We exist wherever we have an ANW teacher. We always seek creative, gifted teachers who hold and teach from a biblical worldview.
If you know any teachers with the heart to re-examine the difference between “school” and “education” and are interested in starting a learning center, have them contact Academy Northwest. We train teachers to “retool” their skills to partner with families in our educational model effectively.
Please visit our Employment page or call (206) 246-9227 for more details.
What is your social media moderation policy on the official ANW channels?
Academy Northwest’s social media sites serve as a limited public forum, and we monitor all content. User-generated posts will be rejected or removed when the content of a post:
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Contains information or comments that don’t adhere to the Academy Northwest Statement of Faith, which could include but is not limited to
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Off-subject or out-of-context comments.
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Obscene material.
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Threatening, harassing, or discriminatory language.
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Language that incites or promotes violence or illegal activities.
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Contains personal identifying information or sensitive personal information.
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Contains information that reasonably could compromise individual or public safety.
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Advertises or promotes a commercial product or service or any entity or individual.
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Promotes or endorses political campaigns or candidates.