NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Updates for High School Partners

Greetings,

As we approach the end of the year, I’m reminded of how much December asks of all of us: Students wrapping up finals, seniors preparing for life beyond high school, and juniors, sophomores and freshmen setting their sights on a fresh start in the new year. Amid the busyness, I hope this season also brings moments of hope, reflection and celebration.

At NIU, we’re continuing to help students wrap up their college-planning tasks: Finalizing applications through MyNIU, exploring the new Next Steps Portal, submitting the FAFSA, opting in to OneClick or applying for scholarships. And, as always, we’re here to support you as you guide them through these important milestones.

As you prepare for a well-deserved break, I hope you find time for rest, joy and the restorative practices that help you return renewed. Please remember: We’re your 

HUSKIE SPOTLIGHT

“By having assistance from NIU, I was able to get through my first year of college without having to take out any loans and focus more on my education rather than working to get money for school.”

— Brooke Schliephake, a psychology major from West Chicago, Illinois.

There’s still plenty of time for your students to apply for fall 2026 admission. They can apply using NIU’s application or through the Common App. It’s free to apply, and we don't consider standardized test scores for general admission.

We’re also part of the state of Illinois’ One Click College Admit program, offering both high school seniors and juniors the opportunity to opt in and gain automatic acceptance into the state’s participating universities. Through this program, the only requirement to be considered for admission into most of the state’s universities is GPA.

At NIU, we use Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results, along with other credentials, to determine the amount of financial aid and scholarships a student admitted to NIU is eligible to receive. We encourage all students to submit their FAFSA as soon as possible, if they haven’t yet.

Any students who are Illinois residents but ineligible for federal aid can apply for state assistance through the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid.

To help guide students through our financial aid process:

We’ll keep you and your students up to date on key dates and deadlines and walk your students through their next steps. Please encourage your admitted students to regularly check their email. They can log in to their Next Steps Portal using their NIU email address.

Volunteering is a great way to help others and enhance college applications and résumés.

At NIU, the desire to serve and help others is strong. Through a variety of volunteer and community service opportunities, Huskies interact with people from different backgrounds, gain leadership skills and discover the power that comes from working together.

You’ll find them stocking shelves and assisting clients at our Huskie Food Pantry or volunteering through numerous service-oriented student organizations and clubs. You’ll also find significant service components in our fraternities and sororities.

Hundreds of NIU students make employer connections at career events

Panhellenic recruitment draws largest turnout in years

Students get opportunity to taste the world at NIU

With first-year student resources, we’ll meet your students wherever they’re at on their educational journeys andprovide personal attention, flexibility and support tailored to their unique needs. 

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