NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Updates for Community College Partners

Greetings,

We’re thrilled to share that more transfer students are choosing NIU! In fact, we welcomed our largest new transfer class in eight years this fall. In all, 1,622 new transfer students joined our Huskie family, an 11% increase from last fall.

Nearly half of all Huskies started their education at their local community college. It’s the third straight year of transfer growth, a reflection of our university’s campuswide commitment to transfer-friendly practices and policies.  

Among NIU’s new transfer students this fall, 59% were awarded merit scholarships, earning up to $2,000 a year for two years based solely on their GPA. In all, $1.5 million in merit scholarships were awarded to new transfer students.

In addition to growing financial aid and scholarship opportunities for transfer students, NIU has expanded place-based learning and other unique opportunities to bring NIU programs closer to students, helping them balance their education with personal and professional commitments.

With housing just for transfers, NIU also continues to meet the needs of transfer students choosing to live on campus. Of the overall number of students living on campus, 301 are new transfer students.

HUSKIE SPOTLIGHT

"The hands-on experience, the faculty support and the vibrant community have all played a major role in shaping my college experience. NIU offers a perfect environment for growth, both academically and personally, and I’m so glad I chose to pursue my engineering degree here."

— Wyatt Bliss, a transfer electrical engineering major from DeKalb, Illinois.

NIU STEAM and the Northern Illinois Center for Community Sustainability are hosting an Innovation Challenge for the 2025-26 school year to provide a comprehensive opportunity for high school and community college students to strengthen and use their critical thinking and communication skills. Virtual information sessions for educators will be hosted at 4 p.m. onSept. 23 and Oct. 14 via this Zoom link.

The challenge takes place in several stages:

The top high school and community college teams advance to the final, in-person challenge on Saturday, Feb. 28, at NIU.

NIU also once again is hosting STEM Fest, one of the largest free family events in northern Illinois. Organized by NIU STEAM, this year’s event will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 in the heart of NIU’s DeKalb central campus in the Holmes Student Center (HSC), MLK Commons and Founders Memorial Library (FML), and Swen Parson Hall.

More information on the event can be found on the NIU STEAM website.

We’re hosting a 118th Homecoming celebration the week of Sept. 28 through Oct. 5. Discover everything about this year’s festivities!

Join us for a variety of fun events and activities for the entire NIU community and long-time traditions like Huskie football. Make sure to reserve your seats for our Homecoming game versus Miami (Ohio) RedHawks on Saturday, Oct. 4.

Be sure to also join us for a Homecoming block party, family activities, a bonfire, food and beverage, music, tailgating and so much more.

There’s nothing better than a great success story. And this one is worth sharing!

Transfer students Donna Gillespie and Christopher Billen recently shared their experiences on campus with UNIV 301: Leadership and Career Accelerator, a course offered in collaboration with NIU Career Services and Braven.

Billen, a 2024 NIU graduate, began his collegiate journey at the College of Lake County, while Gillespie graduated in May 2025 after transferring from Kishwaukee College. Both received the academic support and professional development opportunities they needed to achieve success.

Since launching in fall 2022, UNIV 301 has empowered more than 700 NIU Fellows on their journey to strong first jobs.

Once again, please keep in mind we’re hosting Preview Days on Monday, Oct. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 11. These events are ideal opportunities for students and their families to tour campus, meet current Huskies and explore our wide range of academic programs and resources.

Encourage your students to register for one of these events today.

And we continue to offer exclusive events just for transfer students with our Virtual Transfers Get Information Friday and in-person Transfers Get Information Friday presentations.

We encourage students to apply early for fall 2026 admission for the best consideration for scholarships and financial aid.

Our priority deadline for the spring semester is Oct. 1, and summer and fall semester transfer admission is March 1. We automatically consider students for our transfer merit scholarship and our Huskie Legacy Award when they apply.

For questions or if your student needs help applying, contact us at transfercenter@niu.edu or schedule a virtual appointment.

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With transfer-specific 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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