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Nicaragua, Managua
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NCA International enrolls about 300 students from preschool through twelfth grade, with roughly 55% from Nicaraguan families and most of the remainder children of international missionaries. Admission requires an age-based placement with a September 30 cutoff (PK1 for 3-year-olds, PK2 for 4-year-olds, Kindergarten for 5-year-olds; first grade should be six years old; children who do not turn three by September 30 are not eligible). English fluency is required for entry into PK2 and above, as determined by an entrance evaluation and interview. A family partnership is required; a family interview is conducted for all new families, and the school emphasizes commitment to its Christian philosophy, expectations, and policies. Classes are capped at 15 in PK1, 18 in PK2, 20 in Kindergarten, 22 in Grades 1–3, and 24 in Grades 4–12. The school primarily serves evangelical missionary families, but all families are welcome to apply. Admission steps include submitting documents, an entrance evaluation (either a recent English-language test for transfers from American schools or an on-site evaluation; PK1 does not require an evaluation but must be potty-trained and 3 by Sep 30), and family/student interviews (student interviews for Grades 7–12). For the normal admissions cycle, all steps should be completed by the third Friday in April, with decisions communicated by email before May 15; late and midyear applications are considered only if space is available. Upon acceptance, families meet with the business administrator, sign a payment contract, and pay a non-refundable registration fee of $260 per student.
Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) provides financial support to families; about 20% of students receive TAP, and assistance can cover up to 75% of tuition. TAP is funded both by internal tithing and external gifts, and it is not a single-child sponsorship; there is a formal process to review TAP applications. Donations to TAP can be made through Resourcing Christian Education (RCE) International for U.S. contributions. The program operates as a partnership between the schools and supporters to help families in need access the program.
Nicaragua Christian Academy International sits on a seven-acre campus three miles southwest of Managua. It offers preschool through secondary education in an American, college-preparatory program with a North American calendar and AP courses. The school is evangelical and non-denominational, nonprofit, and affiliated with the United States education system; it is accredited by Cognia (AdvancED) and ACSI, and was the first ACSI-accredited school in Central America. The curriculum blends English instruction with Spanish and Nicaraguan studies, using textbooks from Pearson, McGraw-Hill, BJU Press, ACSI, and Christian Schools International. An Accelerated Reading program supports English literacy for grades 1–8. The campus has six classroom buildings, the Eagle Center, libraries, labs, and athletic facilities for soccer, basketball, volleyball. Extracurriculars include Drama Club, National Honor Society, Student Councils, HACIA Democracy, community service, field trips and retreats. AP offerings include Calculus AB, English Language and Composition, English Literature, Spanish Language, Spanish Literature/Culture, and Statistics.
