State of Illinois AIM HIGH Program
NIU is awarded funding from the state of Illinois for scholarships to increase the enrollment of Illinois students in Illinois public universities. These funds, referred to as AIM HIGH grants, have residency, family income and other criteria. NIU has also set additional eligibility criteria within the state parameters.
AIM HIGH Eligibility Requirements
- Be an Illinois resident who attended an Illinois high school.
- Be a first-time incoming freshman or transfer student.
- Be seeking your first undergraduate four-year degree.
- Complete the NIU admission application including submission of all required documents by April 1, 2024.
- Be a citizen or eligible non-citizen (be eligible for federal student aid).
- File a FAFSA by the April 1, 2024, priority deadline. NIU will use the submission date of your initial FAFSA regardless of the inclusion of our school code. However, we cannot calculate your eligibility until NIU has been added to your FAFSA.
- Not have received a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent of 135 semester credit hours.
- Not be incarcerated.
- Not be in default on any student loan.
- Not owe a refund or repayment on any state or federal grant or scholarship.
- Have a household income at or below eight times the poverty level. This information will be collected on the FAFSA. 2022 income will be used to determine 2024-2025 eligibility based on the chart below. The household income at the time of initial application will be the income used throughout the duration of the program (even if the income changes in subsequent FAFSAs submitted by the applicant).
| Number of People in Household | AIM HIGH Maximum Income* |
|---|
| One | $108,720 |
| Two | $146,480 |
| Three | $184,240 |
| Four | $222,000 |
| Five | $259,760 |
| Six | $297,520 |
| Seven | $335,280 |
| Eight ** | $373,040 |
*Household limits may vary from year to year.
**For more than eight people in the household, add $37,760 for each person.
