AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge

Our AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant is funded by the state of Illinois’ AIM HIGH Program and is open to freshmen who earned a cumulative 3.0 grade point average or better in high school and will be starting at NIU the fall immediately following their high school graduation. For students who meet all eligibility requirements, the aid program helps completely cover first-year tuition and general fees. 

New for students entering NIU with the Fall 2024 semester: We've expanded our eligibility criteria to make NIU more affordable for Illinois families with household incomes of $100,000 or less.

How It Works

To determine the amount of your Huskie Pledge Grant, we'll look at your initial NIU, federal and state aid which includes:

If your initial grants and scholarships do not cover the full amount of your tuition and general fees, a Huskie Pledge Grant will be issued to ensure that your gift aid equals or exceeds NIU’s annual tuition and general fees. If your initial grants and scholarships already cover your entire tuition and fees, no additional award titled "Huskie Pledge" will appear on your financial aid offer.

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for a AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant, you must:

  • Be an Illinois resident.
  • Be a graduate of an Illinois high school during the 2023-2024 school year.
  • Have a cumulative 3.0 high school GPA or higher.
  • Be a full-time (12 hours per semester) incoming freshman at NIU in the fall of 2024.
  • Apply for admission to NIU and file a FAFSA or the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by the priority deadline of April 1, 2024. Huskie Pledge Grants will continue to be awarded after the priority deadline as long as funds remain available.
  • Meet the Illinois residency requirements based on the student's dependency status.
  • Have a family adjusted gross income at or below $100,000. This information will be collected on the 2024-25 FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid using the 2022 tax year.
  • Have family assets of $100,000 or less, as defined by the FAFSA. (Home equity and the value of retirement accounts are not considered.)
  • Meet all criteria as outlined by the State of Illinois AIM HIGH program.

How to Apply

Students are automatically considered when they apply to NIU and submit their FAFSA or Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid by the priority deadline of April 1, 2024. AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grants will continue to be awarded after the priority deadline as long as funds remain available.

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Renewal Criteria

Huskie Pledge Grant recipients who continue to meet the eligibility criteria will be eligible for the same Huskie Pledge Grant amount received during their initial year of NIU enrollment, and it will be renewable until they have earned 135 credit hours or a degree. The renewability of this scholarship is contingent on future state appropriation and funding for the AIM HIGH program.

Renewal Criteria and FAQs

Examples

The following are examples that help show how our Huskie Pledge program works.

Freshman Student One

This student meets AIM HIGH 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 ($12,504.36)
NIU Merit Scholarship $3,000
MAP Grant $1,800
NIU Advantage Need Grant $3,000
AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant $4,800
Remaining Tuition and General Fees Balance $0

Freshman Student Two

This student meets AIM HIGH 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 ($12,504.36)
NIU Merit Scholarship $1,000
Pell Grant $7,395
MAP Grant $8,400
AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant $0
Remaining Tuition and General Fees Balance $0

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the deadline to apply?

Funding is limited, so students should apply for admission to NIU and file a FAFSA or alternative Illinois RISE Act application by the priority deadline of April 1, 2024.

What are the eligibility requirements?
  • Be an Illinois resident. (See definition of Illinois resident for undocumented students)
  • Be a graduate of an Illinois high school during the 2023-24 school year.
  • Have a cumulative 3.0 high school GPA or higher.
  • Be a full-time (12 hours per semester) incoming freshman at NIU in the fall of 2024.
  • Apply for admission to NIU and file a FAFSA or the alternative Illinois RISE Act application by the priority deadline of April 1, 2024.
  • Have a parent who is an Illinois resident listed on your FAFSA or Illinois RISE Act application.
  • Have a family adjusted gross income at or below $100,000. This information will be collected on the 2024-25 FAFSA or Illinois RISE Act application, using the 2022 tax year.
  • Have family assets of $100,000 or less, as defined by the FAFSA or Illinois RISE Act application. (Home equity and the value of retirement accounts are not considered.)
  • Meet all criteria as outlined by the State of Illinois AIM HIGH program.
What is the definition of Illinois resident for undocumented students?/Who is eligible to complete the Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid?

For the purposes of the AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Program, an undocumented student is considered to be an Illinois resident and eligible to complete an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid if they meet the following requirements:

  • Lived with their parent or guardian while attending a public or private high school in Illinois.
  • Graduated from a public or private high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in Illinois.
  • Attended school in Illinois for at least three years as of the date they graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma.

In addition, undocumented students will be required to confirm that they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the U.S. at their earliest opportunity to do so.

How much financial aid can I receive through a AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant, and how does it work?

AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant amounts will vary, depending on the student.The Huskie Pledge program was created to assist qualifying students by ensuring that grants and scholarships will at least equal tuition and general fees. 

First, a student’s eligibility for state and federal need-based grants and the traditional NIU need-based Advantage Grant is determined. If the combination of these grants together with previously awarded NIU merit scholarships does not equal tuition and fees, the difference will be awarded as a AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant.

If eligibility criteria continue to be met, the AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant is renewable, although the grant amount remains the same. (The grant amount is not recalculated annually.)

What expenses are not covered?

Summer tuition and fees, student health insurance, study abroad fees, course material fees, parking permits, housing and dining charges, fines, book store charges and indirect costs such as transportation and supplies.

However, students may have other types of financial aid that can cover other charges (except fines).

How are the income and asset thresholds evaluated?

For 2024-2025, your AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant eligibility is determined by a family adjusted gross income (AGI). The AGI reported on the FAFSA for both you and your parent(s) is combined. If that sum is $100,000 or less, you meet the income criteria. Your initial eligibility will be based on the 2024-2025 FAFSA, which uses 2022 income information.

You and, if dependent by federal financial aid regulations, your parent(s) will report certain assets on the FAFSA. Home equity and the value of retirement accounts, two of the most common parent assets, are not reported. We will add reported assets from you and your parents; if the sum is $100,000 of less, you meet the asset criteria.

How will my renewal amount be determined?

If enrollment and university GPA criteria continue to be met, the same AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant amount received during the initial year of NIU enrollment will be renewable until 135 credit hours have been earned or the first NIU degree has been completed.

This means we will not reduce the Huskie Pledge amount if you later receive private scholarships or other NIU scholarships, or if your household income changes. Likewise, the AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge will not increase if other grants or scholarships decrease. We will only reduce the Huskie Pledge amount if you subsequently receive a waiver or grant through Illinois programs such as the Illinois Special Education Teacher Tuition Waiver and the Illinois Veterans Grant or from programs such as DORs, WIOA and DCFS that cover tuition and general fees.

All other grants and scholarships awarded to freshman students are re-determined each year based on the individual program’s eligibility criteria and funding. For this reason, we cannot guarantee your full tuition and general fees will be covered beyond your freshman year. However, state and federal need-based grants generally remain constant or increase through four years, if family income and size remain constant. If your grants and scholarships increase, your locked-in AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant funding stays the same, and any excess can be used for books, housing or other expenses.

The NIU Advantage Grant is a two-year need-based grant. If you receive both, the AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant cannot be increased to replace this grant in years three and four.

If I do not receive an AIM HIGH Huskie Pledge Grant my freshman year but meet the general eligibility criteria, will I be considered in future years?

No, but you may have other aid options. NIU merit scholarships awarded at the time of admission are renewable for four years. The need-based Huskie Advantage Grant is renewable for a second year. Filing the FAFSA each year will ensure you continue to be considered for the federal Pell Grant and the Illinois State Monetary Award Program (MAP) each year. And, NIU has more than 400 scholarships you may apply for each year.

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