Frequently Asked Questions

General OneCard Questions

Why should I have an NIU OneCard ID?

A Northern Illinois University OneCard is your campus ID if you are a student, faculty, staff or retiree. It is important to keep with you at all times for identification, and for other functions accessed by your card. For example, if you live in the residence halls you will need your OneCard ID for door entry and your meal plan. All printing on-campus requires Huskie Bucks, which is accessed by your OneCard ID as well.

What does my NIU OneCard ID do?

A OneCard ID is your multipurpose identification card that accesses all campus functions. The card is especially used by students who live in the residence halls. It is used to gain entrance to the halls and to access meal options. Find out about all of the OneCard uses.

What if I lose my OneCard ID?

If an NIU OneCard ID is lost, a $20 replacement charge is assessed. Students can pay by cash or check or Huskie Bucks, and can also charge the replacement cost to their bursar account. Faculty, staff and retirees can pay by cash or check. Faculty/staff can also use Huskie Bucks to replace their OneCard or it can be paid for by their department using the department funded ID form (PDF).

What if my OneCard ID is damaged or falling apart?

If a OneCard ID is damaged or falling apart and we receive enough of the pieces of your card to verify it is the currently active card, the replacement cost is $10. Students can pay by cash or check or Huskie Bucks, and also can charge the replacement cost to their bursar account. Faculty, staff, OCR members and retirees can pay by cash or check. Faculty/staff can also use Huskie Bucks to replace their OneCard or it can be paid for by their department using the department funded ID form (PDF).

What if I cannot login to eAccounts?

If you are receiving a "Username or Password was incorrect" error when logging into eAccounts' ZID/AccountID login screen, please follow these steps:

  • On the top right hand side of the screen, select add account (+)
  • Select Northern Illinois University as the school
  • Select SSO Login

This will create a new sign in section for the eAccounts App labeled SSO Login.

Huskie Bucks Questions

Are Huskie Bucks the same as Dining Dollars?

No. A Huskie Bucks account and Dining Dollars are totally separate, though they both are on the same NIU OneCard ID.

A Huskie Bucks account is the only way to do personal printing on campus and is accepted at a number of restaurants and places on and around the Northern Illinois University campus.

A Dining Dollars account is purchased from and assigned by Campus Dining Services as a supplement to a student meal plan.

Can I charge Huskie Bucks to my (or my student's) bursar account?

Unfortunately, no. A Huskie Bucks account must be opened and you (or your student) must deposit your own funds into a Huskie Bucks account in order to use them on or off campus. There are options for making your first deposit, or for replenishing your account.

A bursar account is the student account where tuition and housing fees are billed. Each student at NIU has a bursar account to handle the payment of bills to the university.

Can I use my Huskie Bucks to buy books and supplies?

No. Huskie Bucks cannot be used to buy books for classes.

Instead, NIU students receiving financial aid can have an option to charge books and school supplies to their bursar account. Students who have financial aid can use their OneCard ID at the University Bookstore (815-753-1081) to charge the cost of their books and school supplies to their bursar account. This puts the cost on the bill with tuition and housing that is sent home each semester. Only students who have financial aid can utilize this feature.

Card and Account Security Questions

When I contact the office, I am not able to acquire information about my child or their OneCard ID. Why?

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) as amended is a federal law intended to protect the privacy of student educational records accumulated from early childhood through college.  FERPA provided parents with certain rights with respect to their children’s educational records.  However, once a student reaches the age of 18 or enters college, the rights previously held by the parents transfer exclusively to the student.

Students have the option to delegate information through "Shared Access."  Shared Access allows a student to grant, up to two individuals, access to view their student information. The student can grant access to information such as: Academics, Admissions, Financials, Financial Aid and To Do List. Learn how to set up and authorize the release of information. The Office of the Bursar representative would be able to discuss specific account details with the individuals the student has authorized the release of financial information.

Furthermore, FERPA restriction guidelines will not allow the Office of the Bursar to disclose the existence of the account if the account has been flagged as "non-disclosure." You may change your non-disclosure status with Registration and Records, or go online via MyNIU. If you do not change your non-disclosure agreement, you will need to come to the Office of the Bursar with a photo ID.

To change/update FERPA restrictions: 

  1. Navigate to MyNIU Student Center.
  2. Scroll to Personal Information, Demographic Data and click on the security tab. See the following DoIT KB Article for more information.
When I showed (or tried to use) my old OneCard ID I replaced, it was confiscated. Why?

When it comes to identity protection, we take your security very seriously. No student (or employee) may have more than one OneCard ID, and once it is replaced, the prior ID is then no longer active and removed from the system. To ensure an invalid OneCard ID cannot be used by an unauthorized person, all physical, inactive cards are destroyed to protect you.

What is the acceptable use of the university OneCard?

Only the person to whom the official university OneCard is issued is eligible to use the official university OneCard for authorized purposes.

The official university OneCard must not be misused, defaced, modified, altered, tampered with or deliberately damaged.

The official university OneCard is nontransferable.

Any transfer, misuse, alteration, falsification, forgery, duplication, copy, or fraudulent or illegal use of any function, or component, in part or in whole, of the official university OneCard, may result in the university taking disciplinary action, initiating criminal prosecution and/or taking any other appropriate corrective action.

No individual, department, employee or institutional representative of the university shall hold another cardholder's official university OneCard as collateral or security. The official university OneCard carries various features that can be compromised by having physical access to the card.

OneCard Preferred/Proper Name Questions

What is the OneCard preferred/proper name policy?

Northern Illinois University recognizes that many students choose to identify themselves other than by their legal name while attending the university. To best service students, OneCard ID Services has adopted a policy that allows students to have a "preferred/proper name" printed on their identification card, instead of a "legal name". In order for a student to elect this option, they must first set up a preferred/proper name through self-service in MyNIU. A student’s preferred/proper name will appear within one business day after being updated in MyNIU, unless a future effective date is selected as well. If a preferred/proper name follows the guidelines as set forth by the university, this name will replace the student’s legal name in the OneCard system, and be available for printing.

If a student opens a Huskie Bucks account, the student’s legal name must be used when completing the contract. This form is considered a legal document and must follow the guidelines of legal vs. preferred/proper name (See preferred/proper name information).

If a student brings in their current OneCard ID requesting a preferred/proper name be printed, a $10 replacement fee will be assessed for producing a new card. In the same case, a student that has lost their OneCard ID and wants a preferred/proper name printed on a new ID, the cost of the card is $20.

OneCard ID Services reserves the right to refuse printing an ID for a student if staff deems a preferred/proper name to be inappropriate, including but not limited to misrepresentation, attempting to avoid a legal obligation, or a name that is deemed to contain inappropriate or offensive language, can be denied. A student having any issues with a preferred/proper name not following the guidelines as set forth by the university will be referred to Registration and Records for appropriate actions as deemed necessary.

Do I have to get a new OneCard if I choose to have a preferred/proper name?

It is your choice whether you would like to swap out a current ID with a new one to display the preferred/proper name. If you have set a preferred/proper name under self-service in MyNIU, this will now be the name that displays in the OneCard system for card production and any subsequent ID cards printed will display the name you have set in MyNIU.

Is there a charge to get my preferred name on my OneCard ID?

If you bring in your current OneCard ID requesting a preferred/proper name be printed, a $10 replacement fee will be assessed for producing a new card. If you have lost your OneCard ID and want a preferred/proper name printed on a new ID, the cost of the card is $20.

I have a really unique nickname, can I use it for my OneCard ID?

OneCard ID Services reserves the right to refuse printing an ID for a student if staff deems a preferred/proper name to be inappropriate, including but not limited to misrepresentation, attempting to avoid a legal obligation, or a name that is deemed to contain inappropriate or offensive language, can be denied. A student having any issues with a preferred/proper name not following the guidelines as set forth by the university will be referred to Registration and Records for appropriate actions as deemed necessary.

Contact Us

OneCard ID Services
Founders Memorial Library
Room 104
DeKalb, IL 60115

Phone: 815-753-9569
Email: onecard@niu.edu

Business Hours

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