Aurora Polytechnic Admissions for NWT Homeschoolers: What You Need

Aurora Polytechnic — formerly Aurora College, rebranded in 2023 — is the primary post-secondary institution for NWT residents. For homeschooled students whose education does not fit neatly into a transcript from a recognized high school, getting into Aurora Polytechnic requires understanding which admissions pathway applies and what documentation supports it.

The short version: Aurora Polytechnic is accessible to homeschoolers through multiple routes, but the documentation you need depends entirely on which route you are using and what program you are applying for.

The NWT Senior Secondary Diploma Pathway

The most straightforward route for homeschooled students is completing the NWT Senior Secondary Diploma and applying exactly as any other diploma-holding graduate would. This requires 100 credits in the required subject areas — Language Arts (15 cr), Mathematics (10 cr), Science (10 cr), Social Studies (10 cr), Northern Studies (5 cr), and CALM (3 cr), plus 25 hours of community service — with the remaining credits in electives.

For homeschooled students, the diploma is awarded based on the same credit requirements, but the process for earning and documenting those credits runs through your DEA and principal, not a school-issued report card. Your principal records the credits you have earned through your home schooling program. When you complete all requirements, the DEA issues a transcript confirming the diploma.

Aurora Polytechnic accepts the NWT Senior Secondary Diploma for admission to certificate, diploma, and most applied degree programs. Your transcript from your DEA is the credential document — there is no separate process for homeschoolers once the diploma is completed.

The documentation work that matters here is the ongoing credits tracking throughout high school. Every credit needs to be recorded as it is completed. A well-maintained homeschool portfolio with a running transcript page, updated each year, means your DEA can produce an accurate official transcript quickly when you need it for application. Reconstructing four years of credits from memory in Grade 12 is messy and sometimes results in missing credits that were genuinely completed but not documented.

Mature Student Entry

Students who are 19 years of age or older and do not hold a high school diploma can apply to Aurora Polytechnic programs under the mature student entry pathway. This pathway is available for many certificate and diploma programs and does not require a secondary school credential.

For homeschooled students who did not complete a formal diploma, mature student entry is a real option — particularly for trades programs, health care aide training, and community support worker certificates where life experience and demonstrated readiness matter more than academic credentials.

The mature student entry process typically includes an application with a personal statement describing your background and goals, and may include a placement assessment in literacy and numeracy. Aurora Polytechnic uses these assessments to determine whether applicants are ready for program-level work, not to replicate high school testing.

If your homeschool documentation covers your learning history — even informally — bringing it to an admissions conversation is worthwhile. A binder showing years of self-directed learning, land-based skills, community involvement, and subject study tells a more compelling story than a blank slate. Admissions staff at Aurora have seen many northern students whose educational history does not fit standard models.

Portfolio-Based Admissions for Specific Programs

Some Aurora Polytechnic programs — particularly in the arts, trades, and Indigenous language or community programming areas — consider portfolio submissions as part of or instead of traditional academic credentials. The specific requirements vary by program and intake year, so the current program guide on the Aurora Polytechnic website is your most accurate source.

For programs with portfolio admissions, a homeschool portfolio built around the relevant skills and knowledge areas is directly useful as application material. A student applying to an early childhood education program, for example, can present documentation of tutoring, childcare experience, community work, and relevant coursework in a portfolio format that aligns with what the program is looking for.

This is one area where the way you have built and maintained your homeschool documentation makes a concrete difference to your post-secondary options. A portfolio that describes experiential learning in clear, professional language — with dates, contexts, and outcomes described — is an admissions asset. One that is a pile of undated worksheets is not.

Academic Upgrading as a Bridge

Aurora Polytechnic's Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) program and other upgrading offerings allow students to complete specific Grade 11 and Grade 12 level courses at Aurora campuses (Yellowknife, Inuvik, Fort Smith) or through distance. These courses are useful for:

• Homeschooled students who completed most diploma requirements but are missing specific Grade 12 math or sciences needed for a technical program
• Students who want external credential validation before applying to competitive programs
• Students who did not complete a diploma and want a more direct pathway to certificate or degree admission than mature student entry

For homeschoolers in remote communities, Aurora's distance learning options are the primary access point. Not all upgrading courses are available by distance in every intake cycle, so confirming availability before planning around it is important.

What to Prepare Before Applying

Regardless of which pathway you use, gathering your documentation before contacting Aurora Polytechnic admissions saves time:

For diploma pathway: Your official NWT transcript from your DEA showing completed credits. If this is not yet produced, ask your DEA office how to request it. Allow several weeks for processing.

For mature student entry: Your identification, a brief written statement about your educational background and goals, and any supporting documents that demonstrate relevant learning or work experience.

For portfolio programs: A curated selection of work demonstrating skills relevant to the program, organized chronologically or by skill area, with clear labeling of what each item shows.

For all pathways: If you have done any formal coursework outside your home schooling — distance learning, community programs, workplace training — gather certificates or completion records for those as well.

Aurora Polytechnic's admissions office can advise on which pathway fits your specific situation. The institution has experience with the full range of NWT educational backgrounds, including students from fly-in communities, students who left school early, and students whose education combined formal and informal learning throughout. You are not an unusual case for them.

The NWT Portfolio & Assessment Templates include a credits tracking log and a transcript template designed to produce the kind of organized academic record NWT post-secondary institutions, including Aurora Polytechnic, expect from homeschooled applicants.

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