NIU Today

College costs money. Lots of money. But those dollars are, of course, an investment – a down payment of sorts on the kind of prosperity that the achievement of a higher education can provide. NIU students who wonder whether it’s worth the financial strain can take this to the bank: It is. The university ranks...

In Washington, D.C. … Officials of the U.S. Department of Education today unveiled the Obama administration’s college financial aid “shopping sheet,” which was developed jointly with the newly created Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The shopping sheet, while allowing individual institutions to provide customized information, provides a number of common elements regarding a student’s financial aid...

A bill in the Illinois General Assembly that sought to take away the 50 percent tuition discount that Illinois’ public universities currently offer their employees fell well short of the 60 votes it needed to pass a vote of the house. The bill, HB 5531, sponsored by Rep. Luis Arroyo (D-Chicago), would have amended various...

In Springfield … The Illinois primary elections were held Tuesday, March 20. The elections results can be found on the Illinois Board of Elections website. The Illinois General Assembly was in session Wednesday through Friday of last week. Members of the House of Representatives approved HB 3810 (vote: 95 yes, 25 no, 2 present), introduced by...

Just like the early onset of summer-like weather and temperatures, the suspension of 2012-13 MAP Grant processing has arrived sooner than anyone expected. Administrators in NIU’s Student Financial Aid Office alerted all undergraduates via email Wednesday, March 14, that the prospect of a suspension was imminent. The email urged students who had not filed the...

In Springfield … Friday, March 9, was the deadline to get substantive bills reported out of committees in the chamber of origin, so it was a very busy week. On March 6, House Bill 5745, sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps, passed out of the House Agriculture & Conservation Committee. This bill would allow for concealed-carry in...

In Springfield … The Illinois General Assembly faces some upcoming deadlines on when substantive bills must be out of their chamber of origin, so last week was very busy and this week promises to be even more hectic. Last week, House Bill 5531, sponsored by Rep. Luis Arroyo, was passed out of the House Executive...

Imagine buying a new Toyota Corolla each year for the next four years. That’s how much it costs to finance a college education today. That’s no surprise to accountancy major Jocelyn Lombardozzi, who pays as much for books each year as her fellow Huskies paid for room, board, tuition and books combined in the ’60s....

NIU students who receive Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant funding are being warned that reductions are likely for the spring semester. The current situation is reminiscent of the 2010-11 academic year, when limited state funding and high application volume made it necessary to lower second- and third-term awards. More than 6,200 NIU students – more...

NIU President John G. Peters indicated in his March 24 campus update that “it is difficult to predict the precise course of this spring’s budget debate” and that “what happens in Springfield during the next 60 days will be of critical importance to every employee and annuitant at Northern Illinois University.” His message to be...