Yes, you will be considered for a merit scholarship if you are admitted with self-reported credentials. However, once your official credentials arrive we will evaluate them and determine your official scholarship level at that time.
Broken down over eight semesters up to four years (or four semesters over two years for transfer scholarships), your merit scholarship is applied in direct segments to your student account balance each term as pending financial aid, with payment posting after the second week of classes.
Receiving other university grants or scholarships may result in a decrease in the amount of your merit scholarship award. If the full term amount is not allocated to account charges, the remainder will not be refunded or rolled over to future semesters.
Merit scholarships can cover tuition, mandatory fees, material fees, on-campus housing, meal plans, standard student parking permit, and books purchased at the University Bookstore or Village Commons Bookstore. However, you are responsible for additional costs of attendance, which may include remaining tuition and fees, housing and dining costs, books and personal expenses.
Merit scholarships cannot pay study abroad charges, fines such as parking tickets or late fees, Huskie Bucks or other non-educational expenses.
Due to the extraordinary circumstances occurring during the spring 2020 semester, the university is waiving the full-time completion requirement and the GPA requirement for merit scholarship renewals for fall 2020 semester. We will still evaluate your academic performance, but will not penalize students who fail to meet the criteria listed below. This change applies only to students who were on a warning status for spring 2020.
You are required to enroll in and successfully complete at least 12 credit hours each semester. Successful completion is defined as earning grades of D or better and does not include F grades or withdrawals.
You must maintain the cumulative NIU grade point average (GPA) indicated on your award letter. If you were admitted for fall 2020 or earlier, the GPA requirements are3.30 for Presidentials; 3.20 for NIU Scholars; 3.00 for all others. For fall 2021, the renewal GPA is 3.3 for Presidentials, 3.0 for transfer merit scholarships, and 2.75 for all other freshman merit scholarships. If your cumulative NIU GPA drops below the requirement, you will be allowed one grace semester to bring it back up. During this grace semester, you will still receive the scholarship as long as you are enrolled in a minimum of 12 hours.
Should your cumulative NIU GPA fall below the requirement for two semesters, or if you do not complete at least 12 credit hours each semester, your merit scholarship will be revoked. Appeals are generally not accepted unless there has been an extreme circumstance.
If your scholarship is revoked, but you later increase your cumulative GPA to the required level, please contact the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to request that your scholarship be considered for reinstatement. Reinstatement will not be automatic and will depend upon available funding.
You must also remain in good academic and judicial standing to be eligible for scholarship renewal.
The scholarship is renewable for up to a total of up to eight consecutive semesters for freshmen students, or four consecutive semesters for transfer students.
If you are concurrently enrolled at another institution, you must complete a consortium agreement and receive approval from your major college office in order to be considered eligible to receive the scholarship.
No, you do not have to file a FAFSA to receive a merit scholarship. However, NIU is offering additional scholarships as part of the AIM HIGH program (link) to students who meet the qualifications. If you want to be considered for the AIM HIGH scholarships you should submit a FAFSA by December 1.
Scholarships typically are distributed only for the fall and spring. However, if you are graduating in less than four or eight semesters and would like to use your scholarship during the summer, please contact the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at scholarships@niu.edu to make the request. Advisor approval may also be required.
Scholarships are awarded only for a specific admission term. If you will not attend for your original admission term, but would like to attend another term, you must reapply to the university. At that time, you will be considered for scholarships for the new term and will be subject to any changes in criteria and term-specific deadlines.
If you do not attend NIU for more than one semester (not including summer), you will forfeit your scholarship. You also will have to reapply to the university and will not be eligible to receive your merit scholarship upon your return. However, you do not have to repay the scholarship if you do not complete your coursework at NIU.
Merit scholarships cannot be assigned to study abroad or most internship experiences.
Merit scholarships are reserved for undergraduate students. Should you enroll in a professional sequence program or any other program that will elevate you to postgraduate or graduate status throughout the next four years, your award will immediately cease.
If you have early admission to graduate school and are concurrently taking undergraduate and graduate coursework, please contact the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office to verify what charges the scholarship may cover.
Scholarships will be posted as part of your financial aid and will be included in your spring or fall financial aid notification.
Scholarships are applied directly to your NIU student account charges prior to the beginning of fall and spring semesters, and will disburse to those charges after the 10th day of classes.
In most cases, student athletes are eligible to receive academic merit scholarships. Please contact your coach to determine if you are eligible to receive an award under NCAA rules and regulations.
If you have other awards that fully pay your charges, the Financial Aid and Scholarship staff will work with you to maximize your aid; for example, sometimes a merit scholarship can help pay for a meal plan or bookstore charges. However, merit scholarships can’t be refunded, rolled forward, or accumulated for use in another term. In some cases, you may have to forfeit a scholarship to fully utilize other benefits.
If you have scholarships or financial aid, you can use your NIU OneCard (which you will receive at orientation) to purchase books at the University Bookstore or Village Commons Bookstore during the open charge period. The charges will be put onto your student account along with your tuition, fees and other charges. There is a $700 limit to bookstore charges each semester.
To accept your scholarship, you must confirm your intent to enroll at NIU by accepting your admission in MyNIU. This will allow the university to reserve your scholarship, as well as send information to you about your next steps.
By enrolling at NIU, you are agreeing to the terms and conditions of this scholarship.
If you enroll at NIU but wish to decline this scholarship, please notify the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office in writing.
Your next step will be accepting your admission to NIU. Learn more about this and subsequent admitted student next steps.
AIM HIGH Excellence scholarships awarded in 2019 to eligible freshmen will be available for a total of four years, while transfer recipients can renew for a second year.
Your award is renewable at the amount you received your first year, based on these criteria:
AIM HIGH Transfer Achievement Awards received for the first time in fall 2020 by eligible transfer students will be available for renewal until you reach 135 attempted credit hours or earn your degree.
Your must also continue to meet the following criteria:
Contact the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at 815-753-1395 or scholarships@niu.edu.