Financial Assistance

We understand - paying for college isn't easy

Paying for college can seem like an uphill battle. But NIU and the College of Education offer a variety of ways to help you financially so you can focus on progressing to degree completion and, ultimately, succeeding and leading in your career and community.

Scholarships

As a new incoming College of Education student, you are automatically considered for university merit-based scholarships. These scholarships are distributed as long as funds last, so make sure to apply to the university by the priority admission deadline to be considered.

You are eligible to apply for additional NIU and College of Education scholarships as soon as you’ve been admitted, and our college offers more than 50 donor-funded scholarships.

All scholarships can be found in MyScholarships, administered by the NIU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. January 31 is a common application deadline for scholarships.

Project Graduate Program

We know that financial situations arise that ultimately can stand between you and your ability to complete your degree and graduate. If you find yourself in a crisis financial situation and have exhausted other options (including available loans), please know that we will try our best to assist. Through generous contributions from donors, our Project Graduate program financially assists undergraduate students who are within four semesters of graduation or graduate students within two semesters of graduation so they can cross the finish line. All Project Graduate awards must be for academically related expenses and may not be awarded to support non-academic, personal expenses. All students must be in good academic standing to be considered for an award.

Because academic financial crisis situations can arrive without warning, you can apply for Project Graduate funds at any time. You can expect a response from a member of the college leadership team within 48 hours of your request.

Project Graduate Application

Mary F. English Technology Award

The Mary F. English Technology Award was established at NIU in September of 2000 by donors Robert and Mary English. The award assists and supports students in the College of Education through professional development opportunities focused on technology in the classroom. Award recipients receive current technology equipment for their academic, personal and professional use. Recipients develop technical skills and gain experience using technology as learning and informational tools.