For eligible students, the Huskie Pledge guarantees that tuition and general fee costs will be met by gift aid (grants and/or scholarships) for the first year at NIU and potentially beyond. (Note: This does not include your housing costs.) In cases where initial grants and scholarships do not cover the full amount, a Huskie Pledge Grant will be issued to ensure all gift aid equals or exceeds NIU’s annual tuition and general fees. If initial grants and scholarships already cover your entire tuition and fees, no additional award titled "Huskie Pledge" will appear on your financial aid offer.
The following are examples that help show how the Huskie Pledge Program works.
Freshman Student One
This student meets Huskie Pledge eligibility requirements. The student receives various types of aid, but it’s not enough to meet the full expense of first-year tuition and general fees. A Huskie Pledge Grant is issued to ensure that all gift aid equals or exceeds NIU’s annual tuition and general-fee costs. The Huskie Pledge Grant amount is potentially renewable annually if the student continues to meet program requirements.
Example
Amount
Annual Tuition and General Fees
($12,288)
NIU Merit Scholarship
$3,000
MAP Grant
$4,272
NIU Advantage Need Grant
$1,000
Huskie Pledge Grant
$4,100
Remaining Tuition and General Fees Balance
$0
Freshman Student Two
This student meets Huskie Pledge eligibility requirements. However, other traditional types of gift aid already cover the full expense of tuition and general fees, so an additional Huskie Pledge Grant will not be applied to the financial aid offer.
Example
Amount
Annual Tuition and General Fees
($12,288)
NIU Merit Scholarship
$4,000
Pell Grant
$4,095
MAP Grant
$5,340
Huskie Pledge Grant
$0
Remaining Tuition and General Fees Balance
$0
Freshman Student Three
This student meets Huskie Pledge eligibility requirements. The student receives various types of gift aid, but it’s not enough to meet the full expense of first-year tuition and general fees. A Huskie Pledge Grant is issued to ensure that all gift aid equals or exceeds NIU’s annual tuition and general-fee costs. The Huskie Pledge Grant amount is potentially renewable annually if the student continues to meet program requirements.