- Division of Student Affairs
- Center for Student Assistance
- Care and Support
Care and Support

Support for Housing Insecurity
NIU provides resources to students experiencing housing insecurity and/or are considered to be a “student in care.” If either of these apply to you, contact Jeffrey Salmon for assistance (815-753-0100, jsalmon1@niu.edu).
You’re considered to be housing insecure if you don’t have a safe, stable place to stay every night, or if your parent/legal guardian can’t or won’t help you find one. This applies to many situations, including the following:
- Living in a motel/hotel, trailer park, campground or emergency shelter
- Living in a car, park, abandoned building or other public space
- Living with someone temporarily (friend, relative, etc.)
- Not having somewhere to go when your residence hall closes
You’re considered to be a student in care if you are, or were in the past, under the custody of the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS).
You can read legal definitions of homelessness and student in care in the Higher Education Housing and Opportunities Act and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.
Get Help
For Yourself
Fill out an assistance request form. The Center for Student Assistance will respond as soon as possible.
For Someone Else
Fill out a student of concern report. The Student of Concern Committee will receive the report. Learn more about:
Campus and Community Resource Toolkit
Helping you succeed as a Huskie means supporting you holistically as a person. The campus and community resources we’ve gathered here can help address a variety of issues you may face. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us or fill out an assistance request form.
- NIU Career Services can help you explore majors, build professional skills/networks and prepare for success after graduation (CareerServices@niu.edu, 815-753-1642).
- Huskies Get Hired is an online job search platform for students and alumni.
- Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) assists with securing a new career.
- NIU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office guides students and families through the financial aid process.
- NIU Student Emergency Fund provides financial assistance to current students.
- NIU Student Financial Advising Services advises students and families on a range of financial topics.
- Post-Secondary Education Services provides resources, mentoring and financial assistance to current and former youth in care seeking various post-secondary options, including two-year and four-year college programs, vocational programs, apprenticeships and internships.
- Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) provides information about unemployment insurance and filing a claim.
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) provides cash assistance to those who qualify. Apply for benefits eligibility.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the online form you’ll use to apply for financial aid (federal and state grants, loans and work-study). It includes information about parents/guardians. If you're not living with your parents/guardians and/or you're experiencing housing insecurity, you may be asked to provide additional documentation. Get help answering the FAFSA question about student homelessness.
- Huskie Food Pantry provides free, healthy food, as well as personal care items, toiletries, school supplies and supplies for infant/toddler care.
- Huskie Closet provides free business and casual clothing and shoes.
- Several other local food pantries also provide supplies and resources.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can help pay for food. Apply for benefits eligibility.
On-campus resources:
- Northwestern Medicine Student Health Center at NIU provides health care to students (815-306-2777).
- Community Counseling Training Center offers counseling services to NIU and community members (cahc_cctc@niu.edu, ;815-753-9312).
- Couple and Family Therapy Clinic provides mental health services to NIU and the community, with an emphasis on promoting strong relationships (familytherapy@niu.edu, 815-753-1684).
- Counseling and Consultation Services provides comprehensive mental health support to students currently enrolled at NIU (815-753-1206).
- Psychological Services Center provides outpatient psychological services to NIU and the community (psc@niu.edu, 815-753-0591).
- Discover religious organizations that have a presence on the NIU campus.
Off-campus resources:
- DeKalb County Health Department provides preventive health services, health protection services and health education (815-758-6673).
- Family Service Agency provides counseling and other essential services to DeKalb County (815-758-8616).
- Greater Family Health Sycamore offers services from preventive care to chronic disease management (844-599-3700).
- Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital provides patient care across the greater Chicagoland area and northern Illinois (815-756-1521).
- Northwestern Ben Gordon Center provides mental health counseling and substance abuse treatment services (815-756-4875).
On-campus resources:
- NIU Housing and Residential Services provides safe, supportive student housing, including options for university breaks (housing@niu.edu, 815-753-1525).
- NIU Military and Veteran Services offers other resources for students (mss@niu.edu, 815-753-0691).
- Hotel at Holmes located in the Holmes Student Center, at the heart of NIU's campus, offers the convenience of conference services, meeting rooms, restaurants, recreation and more- all under one roof. It is also within walking distance of downtown DeKalb and a short drive to the NIU Convocation Center.
- NIU Recreation Center has showers and locker facilities available for student use. Lockers may be used to store books, other academic materials and valuables (recreation@niu.edu, 815-753-0231).
Off-campus resources:
- Hope Haven of DeKalb County provides shelter, meals and life-skills development for those without housing (815-758-5765).
- HOPE of Ogle County provides support, shelter and referrals for domestic abuse survivors and their children (815-562-8890).
- Housing Authority of DeKalb County helps income-eligible individuals and families afford rental housing (815-758-2692).
- Illinois Housing Development Authority constructs, preserves and helps people find affordable rental housing (312-836-5200).
- Public and Indian Housing ensures safe, affordable housing, with a focus on economic independence (202-708-1112).
- Rochelle Rescue Mission provides shelter, clothing, food and job assistance to those in need (815-561-2731).
- Safe Passage Domestic Violence Shelter provides shelter, counseling and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence and their loved ones (815-756-7930).
- Campus nursing and lactation spaces are areas for nursing and pumping breastmilk.
- NIU Child Development and Family Center provides high-quality care to children ages three months to five years (jboyer@niu.edu, 815-753-0125).
- A pregnancy accommodation request form is available to students.
- 4-C is a local nonprofit organization that helps families find and afford child care.
- University Libraries provides laptops, self-check kiosks and collaboration stations (lib-admin@niu.edu, 815-753-1995).
- Affordable Connectivity Program offers a discount on internet service to eligible households. Students receiving Pell Grants are automatically eligible.
- Huskie Bus Line is operated by the City of DeKalb. It's free for students and goes to many locations on and off campus.
- Carpool Connections is a Facebook group that helps students share rides to campus.
Contact Us
Center for Student Assistance
Peters Campus Life Building, room 150
studentassistance@niu.edu
815-753-8300