Frequently Asked Questions
Further questions can be sent to the Pre-College team at pnca-community-education@willamette.edu.
Pre-College Summer programs at PNCA are open to students ages 14-18 who have completed at least one year of high school.
PNCA is not offering a residential option for Pre-College Summer Intensive students at this time. The program is commuter-only. Students visiting the area often stay with family or friends, or stay with a legal guardian in a nearby hotel or vacation rental. Harlow Hotel (located directly across the street from campus at 722 NW Glisan St., Portland, OR 97209) offers a discount to PNCA Pre-College students and families.
To apply, complete the Pre-College Summer Intensive Application (to be posted Fall 2026).
Summer applications are accepted on a rolling basis until programs are full. If your application is accepted, you will be emailed a link to register and pay. Payment plans and need-based scholarships are available (please see instructions for each in the application).
Register by April 11, 2027 for a 10% Early Registration Discount on Summer program tuition. To allow time for your early application to process, please apply by March 28, 2027 at the latest.
- Early Application Deadline:Sunday, March 28, 2027
- Early Registration Deadline (discounted tuition):Sunday, April 11, 2027
- Application Deadline:Sunday, May 2, 2027
- Registration Deadline:Sunday, June 6, 2027
2027 Summer Intensive tuition is $2,550. 2027 Summer Studio tuition is $1,350. All necessary materials and supplies are included.
A limited number of need-based scholarships are available. Scholarships cover up to 75% of tuition expenses for eligible students.
Make sure to complete the scholarship section of the application and submit a Letter of Recommendation. In order to process your application, Pre-College staff may ask for a recent tax form as proof of income. Tax forms and any other sensitive information will be requested using Virtru, a secure email encryption service.
Applications are reviewed and accepted on a rolling basis (typically within 1-2 weeks). If you haven't heard back from Pre-College staff within 2 weeks of submitting your application, you can email our team at pnca-community-education@willamette.edu.
If a program is canceled, students and families will be notified as soon as possible. All students enrolled in the canceled program will be issued full refunds immediately.
- Withdrawals must be sent via email topnca-community-education@willamette.edu. 30 or more days before the registration deadline, registered students who withdraw from a program are eligible for a 95% refund. 7 to 29 days before the registration deadline, registered students who withdraw are eligible for a 50% refund. No refunds will be processed less than 7 days before the registration deadline, or after the registration deadline has passed. If a program is canceled, all registered students will receive full refunds.
PNCA provides all supplies to Pre-College summer students, including one sketchbook per summer.Students do not need to bring anything to class, but they are welcome to bring their own sketchbook if they have one they’d prefer to use.If students would like to purchase any additional supplies for their final projects, we recommend Blick Art Materials (right down the street from PNCA’s Main Campus) or SCRAP PDX (just over the Burnside Bridge from PNCA).
Summer programs have a one hour lunch break at noon each day. Lunch is not provided. Students do have access to a fridge and microwave, and there is a food cart right in front of PNCA daily (Yoburi Coffee) as well as a few vending machines inside PNCA. If a parent/guardian has granted their student permission to check themselves in and out, students may leave campus during the break to get lunch from a nearby restaurant or store. Students will be provided with a list of lunch options within 1-2 blocks of campus prior to the start of their program.
PNCA’s Main Campusbuilding is always locked for student safety. Students will receive card keys for entry into PNCA’s Main Campus building. Card keys must be returned on the last day of class.A Campus Safety Officer is always present at the front desk to let a student in, in the event of a lost or malfunctioning card key. If a card key is lost, Pre-College staff or Campus Safety must be notified immediately.
The parking lot at PNCA is for permit-holders only. If your student is driving to class, day passes for the PNCA parking lot can be purchased at the front desk for $12. If friends and family are driving to the closing Thursday reception, an evening pass can be purchased for $6. Paid street parking is also available nearby.
The general schedule each day is as follows:
- 9am - Check-in
- 9-9:30am - Daily sketchbook exercise or warm-up
- 9:30am-12pm - Morning lecture or workshop
- 12-1pm - Lunch
- 1-4pm - Afternoon workshop &/or studio time
- 4-4:30pm - Daily wrap-up
- 4:30pm - Check-out
High quality photos will be shared via email within 3 weeks of the last day of each Summer Intensive.Please make sure to download the photos of your work, as PNCA is unable to store these files indefinitely.
Admissions will reach out directly via email with the feedback from your portfolio review.If you have any questions about your feedback or would like to schedule another portfolio review in the future, you can always contact pncaadmissions@willamette.edu or email your counselor directly. Admissions counselors are a great resource for any and all PNCA or portfolio questions!