NWTC Facts


About NWTC

  • District Formed in 1969
  • First school year 1972-73
  • Currently in the 45th year of operation
  • One of 29 Technology Centers in Oklahoma and part of the system of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.
  • District lies in 7 counties: Alfalfa, Blaine, Dewey, Harper, Major, Woods, Woodward
  • District boundaries: From the Oklahoma-Kansas State Line on the North the District stretches South to the Canton Lake area; from the Freedom School District on the West the District runs East to include the Cherokee School District.
  • Alva Campus serves the school districts and communities of: Alva, Avard, Carmen, Cherokee, Dacoma, Freedom, and Waynoka.
  • Fairview Campus serves the school districts and communities of: Aline, Canton, Cleo Springs, Fairview, Ringwood and the portions of the Okeene and Seiling School Districts that lie in Major County.
  • NWTC’s annual budget consists of approximately 70% local funds, 26% State funds, and 4% Federal funds. RFP from Oklahoma Lottery Grants and Carl Perkins Federal Grants are often utilized to purchase equipment. Local funds consist of an annual levy of 10 mills for the General Fund and 3 mills for the Building Fund. The only NWTC Sinking Fund ever proposed and passed was in 1970 to build the original campus building at Alva and Fairview.

NWTC Mission

Creating success in education, the workplace and life.

NWTC Core Values

  • Professionalism
  • Quality
  • Affordability
  • Customer Focus
  • Innovation
  • Excellence

Functions of NWTC

NWTC provides career education, training and services in 3 major categories:

  • Full-time career programs for high school students and adult students.
  • Adult Certification and Development short-term courses (see Fall Tabloid).
  • Business and Industry Training and Services (EMT, Fire-Fighters Training, First-Aid/CPR, Health-Related Training such as CNA, CMA, etc.)

Full Time Career Program – Alva Campus

  • Automotive Technology
  • Computer and Technology
  • Digital Design
  • Electrical Trades
  • Health Careers Certification
  • Practical Nursing (Adults Only)
  • STEM Biomedical Science and Medicine (High School Students Only)

Full Time Career Program – Fairview Campus

  • Automotive Technology
  • Cosmetology
  • Digital Design
  • Health Careers Certification
  • Marketing, Video and Business Technology
  • Paramedic (Adults only)
  • STEM Biomedical Science and Medicine (High School Students Only)
  • Welding Technology

Student Support Services – Alva and Fairview Campuses

  • Certified Career Counselors conduct career planning activities with students.
  • Career Center Staff provides Tutoring, EOI Remediation, Credit Recovery/Credit Accrual for meeting H.S. Graduation Requirements (Edgenuity/E2020 online learning software).
  • Certified High School Math Instructors offering Algebra 2, Geometry, Trig/Pre-Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Calculus.
  • Certified High School Science Instructors offering STEM Biomedical Science courses, Anatomy and Physiology, AP Biology and Chemistry.
  • ITV College Courses from NOC and SWOSU (College Composition I & II, American History, and Government).
  • Industry Certification Assessments.
  • WorkKeys Career Readiness Certificates. (Can be Alternative Assessments for EOI)
  • Evening GED Classes.
  • Financial Aid available to those adult students who qualify.
  • NWTC Foundation awards student scholarships.

What does it mean to be Career Tech “In-District” vs. “Out-of-District”?

In-District

  • High School students attend career programs tuition-free. NWTC pays transportation costs to School Districts. (FY24 $2.30/mile)
    Adult Students have priority in full-time career programs and pay $2/clock hour.
  • “Northwest Tech Tuition Waiver” available to adult students who live in the NWTC district who have graduated from high school or successfully complete a high school equivalency diploma while residing in the NWTC District. Waiver allows for 75% of a Career Option tuition cost to be waived if used within 3 years of High School graduation/equivalency diploma.
  • Adult short-term students pay a lower rate of tuition/clock hour. (EMT, Fire Training, etc.)
  • Businesses receive customized training on a high-priority basis.
  • Adult Students may enroll in full-time career programs at participating Technology Centers and pay “In-District” tuition rate (Technology Centers currently participating in the Reciprocal Agreement are: Autry Tech – Enid, Chisholm Trail Tech – Omega, High Plains Tech – Woodward, Pioneer Tech – Ponca City, and Northwest Tech – Alva & Fairview).
  • Adult students engaged in farming, ranching or agriculture-related operations may participate in an Agricultural Business Management Program for a nominal cost.

Out-of-District

  • High School students must pay tuition for career programs at the rate of double the cost/student average (FY25 rate $24,735/student) No transportation costs paid by NWTC.
  • Adult students have “space available” priority in full-time career programs and pay $4/clock hour.
  • Adult short-term students pay twice the In-District rate of tuition/clock hour.
  • Businesses are served on a lower priority basis and tuition is charged at a higher rate.
  • Adult students usually placed on a waiting list; may be permitted to enroll as Out-of-District students at a higher rate of tuition and on a space available basis.

Steps in Joining a Career Tech District

  1. A local Board of Education passes a resolution asking for an election for the purpose of annexation to the Northwest Technology Center District.
  2. The Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education conducts a study to ascertain whether the annexation would unlawfully exclude students on the basis of race, color, national origin, or disability.
  3. The Career Tech District Board of Education approves the annexation resolution.
  4. The State Board will set the election date and ask the county(s) election board to conduct the aforementioned annexation election (election is paid for by the ODCTE). Only registered voters residing in the parts of the local School District that are not in a Career Tech District would be allowed to vote.
  5. If the majority of the electors voting at such election vote in favor of the proposition, as certified by the county election board (s), the State Board shall declare the public school district, or that portion designated, annexed to Northwest Technology Center.