The Navajo County Community College District Governing Board met last week and discussed setting the future tuition rates for Northland Pioneer College. The board approves the tuition schedule on a three-year cycle in order to allow students to properly plan for tuition costs.
Vice President for Administrative Services and Chief Financial Officer Maderia Ellison, presented for consideration the proposed tuition rates for 2027 through 2029, with the board to make a final decision on those rates next month.
It was proposed that the in-district rate will remain the same for the next three years and that the rate for bachelor courses will remain the same at 150% of the in-state or out-of-state rate as applicable with no discounts.
The out-of-state rate will be adjusted down to 400% of the in-state rate.
For those living in-district (those living in Navajo and Apache counties) the current rate is $75 per credit hour and it is proposed that rate remain the same through 2029. For those living in-state but outside of Navajo and Apache counties, the rate is currently $94 per credit hour and that is proposed to remain the same through 2029.
For those living out-of-state it is proposed to decrease the rate from $410 per credit hour to $376 per credit hour through 2029.
Regarding course fees, it was noted that fees are based on the cost of consumable supplies and other course specific expenses. Proposed course fee changes are expected to cover new courses and the increased cost of course supplies, equipment maintenance and course-specific operational expenses.
For 2026-2027, changes were proposed. Regarding online transcript orders, the current cost is $14.50 and it is proposed to reduce that cost to $5. The cost for diploma/certificate replacement is currently $17 and it is proposed to reduce that cost to $10. The cost for insufficient fund checks is proposed go up from $35 to $45.
Speaking on the reason for wanting to maintain the current rates, Ellison stated, “We are trying to keep in mind what the students’ priorities are and we want it to be an easy decision for them to say ‘I want to come to NPC.’ Whether they are utilizing Pell or any other financial resources, we want to remove as many of those obstacles for attending college as possible.”
She also noted that the college is the third year of offering free tuition for summer courses. “The first year, as well as the second year we saw some positive enrollment and we’re waiting until this final year to determine what the future recommendation would be.”
NPC Friends & Family Executive Director Jesse Reeck informed the board that approximately $8,000 in funds remain in the AndyVon Transportation Grant. “If you have any students who are tribal members that are having to travel distances of more than 30 miles one way to get to class, please have them apply.”
Reeck also noted that the fall general scholarship applications open on March 1 through April 16. This will include the bachelor’s launching scholarships and nursing scholarships. To learn more about the available scholarships visit www.npc.edu/friends-and-family.
NPC Director of Facilities and Transportation Justin White reported on construction in the district. He stated that the groundbreaking is scheduled this week for the Kayenta Center with an anticipated campus completion in May 2027.
“Our next project that we’re working on is happening in Winslow. We are remodeling the multi-purpose building, which at one time was a gym. We are turning that into cosmetology, which will pretty much mirror and mimic what we did in Show Low, just a little smaller scale.” White noted that in Winslow there are currently 20 stations and there are 21 students so this growth will be great for that program. That project is scheduled to begin on Oct. 1. The other project in Winslow is an addition on the Health Science Building. “We will expand that to add five classrooms, so all health-related programs will be in one building.”
In other business, the board:
* Received a financial update, showing $24.2 million in revenues for the six-month period.
* Approved of the deletion of the Film and Digital Video Program, which includes the following: Film and Digital Video Associate of Applied Science, Film and Digital Video Certificate of Applied Science, Film and Digital Video Certificate of Proficiency and Visual Communications Fundamentals Certificate of Proficiency.
* Approved the removal of ECD188 (Policies and Procedures in Early Childhood Programs) as a requirement in the AAEC and reducing this degree to 60 credits to align with the changes in the CP and AAS. ECD 188 is more relevant to childcare settings and not relevant to the requirements for those who seek employment in public schools.
* Approved of modifications to the Early Childhood Studies Certificate of Proficiency (CP), Certificate of Applied Science (CAS), and Associate of Applied Science (AAS) to align the CP with the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s (DES) requirements for entry-level early childhood care and education workers, allowing students to earn an industry-recognized credential after its completion. Other changes reflect responsive updates that allow students to continue through the program of study and ensure relevancy for students’ intended employment.
* Approved the purchase of a custom generator and installation from Empire Power Systems at a cost of $52,178 for the Tawa building in Holbrook. The current generator in Tawa is 22 years old and leaking oil and water. This project was planned and budgeted for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
* Approved of CORE Construction’s Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) proposal of $7.4 million for construction on the new Kayenta Center. NPC was awarded a grant from Arizona Commerce Authority in June 2024 to construct a new Kayenta Center in the amount of $8.9 million. CORE was selected as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for this project in August 2024. A Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) means that this proposal is the maximum amount NPC will be contracted to pay, regardless of the actual costs incurred during the project.
* Approved the renewal of Adobe services for the college for one year in the amount of $52,318.
* Approved the purchase of automotive training equipment from ATech Training in the amount of $108,221. The cutaways will be used to help students in the automotive training courses held at the Holbrook and Show Low campuses understand the inner workings of different motors and help with the continuation of the program. Several vendors were evaluated, including AUTO EDU, Cutaway Creations, and Tech Com. ATech Training had the products that the ATO program was looking for and needed to meet its requirements. NAVIT will be purchasing the cutaway trainers.
* Approved the purchase of GuestVision software in the amount of $121,000. This software will be installed at all three cosmetology locations in Winslow, Show Low and St. Johns to improve the services that the program provides both for the students and customers. The current software being used is outdated and not user-friendly for both customers and staff.
* Approved for Board Member Derrick Leslie to travel to the Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill., from March 21-24.
* Approved for Board Member Rosie Sekayumptewa to travel to the Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference in Chicago, Ill., from March 21-24.
* Entered into executive session to discuss the annual board self-evaluations, the annual evaluation of President Dr. Von Lawson. No action was taken following the sessions.
