Academic Advising Services

Withdrawals from Courses or the University

Requests must be made in person, sent by US mail, or by fax and must include the student signature, Z-ID, and contact information. Students are also encouraged to review information pertaining to policies and deadlines regarding refunds as posted by the Bursar's Office.

University Withdrawal Information

Transfer Credit Requests

Students seeking permission for concurrent enrollment or for a senior transfer credit request (see definitions below) must consult with Director of Academic Advising.  Students can submit the transfer credit request form with a current degree progress report (long version), in person in Wirtz 227 during the Director's walk-in office hours.  Off-campus students can submit the form by fax (815-753-6169) or by email (HHSAdvisingHelp@niu.edu).  Requests submitted by fax or email will be reviewed as time permits, which could take up to two weeks and students will be notified by email of the review decision.   Email requests must come from the student's NIU Z-ID email.

Concurrent Registration

Students enrolled at NIU in more than two courses (or one in the summer) who wish to enroll in a course at another institution must have permission for concurrent enrollment from the college office prior to enrollment at the other institution.

Senior Transfer Credit Requests

Students intending to transfer credit to NIU after they have earned 90 credit hours (senior standing) or who will have exceeded 90 credits upon transfer of that credit, must obtain prior approval.

Overload Permits

Students must have permission to enroll for more than 18 credit hours during either the fall or spring semester, or more than 9 in the summer. Generally, overload requests for up to 21 hours for the fall or spring semester (12 in the summer) will be granted to students with an NIU cumulative GPA of at least 3.00 or if the student is in his/her last semester of course work. Overloads requests beyond these maximums are highly unusual. Overloads will not be permitted for first semester students.

3rd Attempts

A student who doesn't earn a C or better after two attempts in a course may petition to retake the course for a 3rd time. If approved by the Director of Academic Advising, the student will be directed to secure permission from the chair of the department in which the course is offered.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students notified by the Student Financial Aid Office about unsatisfactory progress and issues relative to the non-release of their financial aid should set up an appointment with the Director of Academic Advising. Please call our office at 815-753-1891 to schedule an appointment.