If a student has been dismissed from Northern Illinois University, he or she may apply for reinstatement after having been out of study for a fall or spring semester. To apply for reinstatement, the student should contact the Office of Admissions to learn the procedures to be followed and the deadlines which are applicable. To be considered for reinstatement the student must submit a written petition that describes what the student has been doing since the time of dismissal; the petition should also address any changed circumstances that support the premise that the student's academic performance would be more successful if they were granted reinstatement. If the student has attended any other college or university since the time of the dismissal, the student must submit official transcripts of all course work attempted since leaving NIU.
Students who are applying for reinstatement after an absence of ten or more years may request consideration under the special policy for students returning after such a lengthy absence. If reinstated under the auspices of this special policy, the student's grade point average will begin again at the time of re-entry. In no case should it be assumed that reinstatement will be granted. Each candidate for reinstatement will be considered by a committee whose judgment determines the outcome of the petition.
Students may wish to apply to other institutions at the same they initiate a request for reinstatement to increase the probability that they will be enrolled, if not at Northern, at some other institution where they can pursue their baccalaureate goals. There is no automatic reinstatement. The sole circumstance under which students who are dismissed from Northern gain automatic re-entry is described in the section on re-entry with compact benefits.