Each year, Northern Lights College invites members of the College community to nominate worthy individuals to be considered for recognition as an Honorary Associate of Arts Degree recipient. From those nominations, the College may select one or two deserving individuals on which to confer an Honorary Associate of Arts.
To be eligible for consideration, nominees must have made direct and significant contributions to the region served by the College, and should have a reputation or profile of distinction and excellence which extends beyond the regional boundaries of the College. Current members of the College Board of Governors, the Foundation or NLC employees/students are excluded from consideration.
Individuals who have had an Honorary Associate of Arts conferred range from internationally-renowned performers, to artists, and supporters of lifelong learning within NLC communities.
- 1994, Ben Heppner
- 1996, Leo Rutledge
- 1997, Duncan MacRae
- 1998, Father Pierre Alphonse Poullet
- 2000, David Ritchie and Donalda Grassie
- 2001, Shirlee Smith Matheson
- 2004, Stanley Townsend
- 2006, Irving K. (Ike) Barber and Barry McKinnon
- 2007, Roy Forbes
- 2008, Dr. Robin Ridington
- 2010, Brian Jungen
- 2012, Mavis A. Brown and Kathi Dickie
- 2013, Paulette Flamond
- 2014, Allan P. Markin
- 2015, Charles Helm
- 2016, Ella Fraser and Caroline Woodward
- 2017, Rosella Borek and Leo Sabulsky
- 2018, Marjolijntje (Marjo) Wheat and Robin Krantz
- 2019, Mors Kochanski and Chief Kwarakwante Cliff Calliou
- 2020, Connie Greyeyes and Donna Kane
- 2021, Karl Mattson
- 2022, John G. Kurjata and Donald Austin Pettit