Further demonstrating its commitment to access and affordability, Northern Illinois University is now expanding the eligibility requirements for its popular AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge program.

NIU’s AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge is supported by the State of Illinois’ AIM HIGH Program. At NIU, qualifying Illinois high school seniors who graduate with an overall GPA of 3.0 or above could pay no tuition costs or general fees for their first year at NIU — and potentially beyond.

In the past, program eligibility requirements included a family adjusted gross income at or below $75,000. The university has now raised the ceiling of that threshold to $100,000—a move that will allow many more students to qualify for the program.

The new threshold is effective immediately for students enrolling as full-time freshmen this coming fall.

Here’s how the program works. For eligible students, the Huskie Pledge guarantees that tuition and general fee costs will be met by grants and/or scholarships for their first year at NIU and potentially beyond. A Huskie Pledge Grant covers tuition and general fee expenses that aren’t met by other financial aid. Students who continue to meet renewal eligibility criteria can receive the same Huskie Pledge Grant amount for up to four more years.

Since the program was started in 2020, nearly 3,500 full-time students have qualified and enrolled at NIU. Those students had an average high school GPA of 3.55, and nearly three-quarters of them reported being first-generation college students.

Learn more about NIU’s AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge at the program website.