The most common questions can be answered by the FAQ below. Have a question that isn't addressed here? Let us know!
Is an Arkansas Driver’s permit required to enroll in your program?
Will the classroom portion help my student pass the knowledge test?
What are the enrollment prerequisites for The Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas?
Will your course get us a discount for our teenager on our auto insurance premiums?
Why should I pay more for Driving Academy of NWA when I can get a certificate for an insurance discount cheaper somewhere else?
Where are the courses taught?
Whose car will be used for the Behind-the-Wheel portion of the program?
How are the courses graded?
What do you hope to accomplish with me or my teen?
What does the student need to bring to the classroom?
How do I get a permit?
Where do I go to get an Arkansas driving permit and/or take the driving test?
Where can I get an Arkansas Drivers License Test Study Guide?
What is your refund policy?
What if I have a complaint?
While every student must have at least an Arkansas permit in order to start the actual Behind-the-Wheel instruction, a permit is NOT required for the classroom portion of our Comprehensive Driver Education. We do ask that every teenager complete all requirements for our certificate within 3 months of the first day of class. back to top
Will the classroom portion help my student pass the knowledge test?
While helping students pass the test is NOT the main purpose of our class, we have had students tell us that it was easier to read and understand the book after taking our classroom instruction. back to top
How long does the comprehensive driver ed course take to complete ?
The course takes four full days of classroom instruction, four 1.5-hour driving lessons scheduled seperately, a couple of hours of homework, and four hours additional practice driving with a parent, guardian, or one of our instructors. Each student should complete all requirements within one to three months, but in special situations, with prior approval, they could all be completed in one week. back to top
- Students must be at least fourteen (14) chronological years of age by the first day of classroom instruction.
- In order for a student 14 - 17 years of age to register for the behind-the-wheel portion of our driving program, he or she must first meet the following requirements:
- have in his/her name and possession a valid Arkansas driving learner’s permit, and
- have successfully completed one day of Driving Academy classroom instruction or another approved driver education program.
- Students 14 - 17 years of age must sign our academy/student agreement jointly with a parent, guardian, or guarantor.
- In order for a student age 18 years or older to register for the behind-the-wheel portion of our driving program, he or she is only required to have in his/her name and possession a valid Arkansas driving learner’s permit. However, a student desiring to receive an insurance discount should check with his/her insurance representative for their requirements. back to top
Will your course get us a discount for our teenager on our auto insurance premiums?
Upon successful completion of our comprehensive driver education program, each student will be mailed an achievement certificate which can be shown to your insurance agent for a driver education discount. It is up to the insurance company as to whether they grant discounts for driver education, but ours is accepted anywhere a public school driver ed certificate would be accepted, as we are licensed through the State Board of Private Career Education. Some parents of teen boys have told us that the discount paid for our program within the first year; others, within 2-3 years. Keep in mind that if a discount is given, it is usually valid until age 25, but ask your agent for those details.
Even if your company does not give a driver education discount, the money and grief you would save if we can prevent your teen from having even one crash would be much greater than the cost of our course. (We cannot guarantee that your child will not be involved in a wreck after completing our course, but the knowledge and motivation we provide your teen can greatly reduce the risk of that happening.)
Adults ages 25-55 are typically already in the lowest insurance rate bracket, thus usually do not benefit further from having a certificate. Ask your agent to be sure. back to top
If your ONLY desire is to get a piece of paper “saying” that your teenager has completed some driver training in order to get a discount on your insurance, then our program is not for you. We do NOT provide our program just as a “courtesy” to the community. This is not just our summer job. We do not think it is possible to teach everything a young driver needs to know in 30 hours, much less in 6 or 2.5 hours of classroom instruction.
Instead, saving lives and helping prevent heartaches and hardships by striving to produce INTELLIGENT young drivers is our year-long passion and goal. We are constantly updating our own training and improving our program to teach the most important information using the most effective methods. We have invested greatly in textbooks, videos, brochures, props, and training to provide the best Northwest Arkansas has to offer in driver education. Parents and grandparents who have attended our classes say that even though they have driven for years, they learned a lot in our program. back to top
Driving Academy uses our cars which are equipped with the dual brakes. If you want to have lessons in drivng a standard transmission, we are able to make exceptions and use your car, provided certain criteria are met. back to top
Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas is currently holding the classroom instruction portion of our program at the Rogers Campus of John Brown University and at Northwest Technical Institute in Springdale. See our Calendar for the dates at each location. Contact us if you would like Driving Academy to consider scheduling classes in your town or at your school for our next season.
Students can view maps to our locations online or can call 479-621-7000 for directions. back to top
Information about the grading system used by The Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas can be found by following this link. back to top
All of the Driving Academy’s programs will strive to develop within each participant knowledge of the provisions of the Arkansas Vehicle Code and other laws of this state relating to the operation of motor vehicles; acceptance of personal responsibility in traffic; appreciation of the causes, seriousness, and consequences of traffic collisions; and the knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills necessary for the safe operation of motor vehicles. back to top
What does the student need to bring to the classroom?
The most important thing to bring is a rested mind and body. We have so much information to teach our students that they must be rested to absorb as much as possible. Also, they will need money for snacks and lunch, unless they choose to bring their own. Details about this will be sent via email a few days before class begins. Everything else they need in class will be provided. back to top
Information about the grading system used by The Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas can be found by following this link.
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Either obtain a study guide from your local Arkansas State Revenue Office or download the manual at http://www.dmv.org/ar-arkansas/manuals.php. This manual will provide further details of requirements for getting a permit and license. Teenagers, 14-17-years, must obtain a letter from their school verifying current enrollmentand that the student has a minimum 2.0 average. Homeschoolers have alternate methods of certification which are explained in the manual. back to top
There are testing sites in Springdale, Eureka Springs, Huntsville, and Siloam Springs. Details about Springdale's Testing Center are given below. For the other locations, go to www.asp.arkansas.gov, under "Highway Patrol Division," click on "Driver's Licensing and Examination," then download the DL/CDL Test Sites PDF. Look for location and test times with Troop L.
Springdale DL Testing Center: 5084 Har-Ber Avenue
They administer both the knowledge test via computer and the driving portion (practical test) Monday-Friday, 8 A.M. to 11:30 A.M. and 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. They are least busy first thing in the mornings.
Their phone number is 479-751-3619.
Directions to Springdale DL Testing Center from Rogers: drive South on I-540, take the Hwy 412 Exit (#72), turn right from exit ramp onto 48th Street, and then left onto Har-Ber Avenue. The Driver License Testing Center Building will be on the right.
Directions to Springdale DL Testing Center from Fayetteville: drive North on I-540, take the Hwy 412 Exit (#72), turn left from exit ramp onto Hwy 412, turn right onto 48th Street, and then left onto Har-Ber Avenue. The Driver License Testing Center Building will be on the right. back to top
You can pick up a study guide either at your local Arkansas Revenue Office or a Driver License Testing Center. You can also download and print your own copy from the Arkansas State Police website. back to top
The registration fee of $100 for a single course or the comprehensive package is non-refundable except for the following cases:
- If a student cancels the enrollment contract within seventy-two (72) hours after submitting it…
- until midnight of the third day excluding Saturdays, Sundays, or legal holidays and
- as long as the 72 hours does not overlap with the first scheduled class
- In the event Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas cancels a block of classes, and the student does not want to choose a different block with us, he or she may completely withdrawal and we will refund, within 15 days of the student’s withdrawal, all tuition and fees paid.
- If for any reason an applicant is not accepted for enrollment by us, we will refund, within 15 days of our cancellation, all tuition and fees paid.
Other refund policies:
- Full credit for any of the Behind the Wheel Driving lessons will be given for any scheduled lesson canceled at least 48 hours prior to the start time.
- Any cancellation of a driving session closer than 48 hours prior to the start time will result in a $30 cancellation charge.
- Because the Individual Behind-the-Wheel lessons (Course #104) are paid one at a time as they are scheduled, upon request a full refund will be given for each one cancelled with at least 48 hours notice prior to the start time.
- If a student chooses to not use all of the six hours of BTW instruction (Course #102), he or she should submit a written notice of withdrawal. The number of scheduled hours passed will be charged at the hourly rate of $45 for teens and $55 for adults and the balance of money left will be refunded.
- Any refund due shall be made by the school to the student no later than fifteen (15) calendar days after the student withdraws or is terminated from the program. back to top
- If at anytime one of our students or his/her parent or guardian has a complaint concerning our business, we encourage them to contact the president, Kimma Harper, by phone at 479-621-7000 or by e-mail at kimma@drivingacademynwa.com.
- If they are not satisfied with the results of this initial contact, we ask that they mail a letter to the president explaining again his or her grievance:
Kimma Harper
Driving Academy of Northwest Arkansas, LLC
1112 S. 48th St., Suite A-1
Springdale, AR 72762 - If the result of these first two contacts is unsatisfactory, then he or she could contact the Arkansas State Board of Private Career Education in Little Rock:
ASBPCE
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501 Woodlane Suite 312 South
Little Rock, Arkansas 72201
Phone: (501) 683-8000
Fax: (501) 683-8020
E-mail: sbpce@mail.state.ar.us