a campus to call home

Your Guide to NIU Housing and Dining

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Live and thrive with us
We want you to succeed as much as you do.
Living on NIU’s campus means you’ll be connected as
you experience everything college life has to offer.

You’ll choose from flexible meal plans that let you eat when,
where and what you want. You’ll have access to fitness centers,
as well as lounge areas for throwback games of pool and foosball.
Or enjoy wireless gaming, or sitting back comfortably with
your favorite TV shows. There are even quiet spots where you
can study. And you’ll live within a short walk to your classes,
campus entertainment and Huskie sporting events. Convenient?
Yes. But also strategic. National studies show students who live
in residence halls their first two years do better academically.
Put simply, our residence halls offer everything you need.
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Find your
community
As one of our Huskie pack, you’ll make friends and memories on a campus
abuzz with organizations and activities for every season. Cultural
events. Greek life. Outdoor adventures. Community service. Concerts.
Theater productions. Whatever your interest, you’ll find it here.
We’ve got you covered
Ready to live on your own?
Just think of our residence halls as your first step. Wi-Fi,
utilities, water, meals, furniture. We’ll take care of it all. You take
care of the décor.

We make life convenient, with accessible laundry facilities in

each hall, a microwave and fridge in each room and an array of
retail food options nearby.

Our highly trained and caring community advisors provide

everything from support and resources to fun social activities.

Our students enjoy key card security and 24-hour

controlled-door access with staff members available 24/7.
We provide escort services when needed, and Huskie Line buses
stop at all residence halls.

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Huskie housing
You have great options.
Thinking a single or double room? How about a suite or cluster
living? Coed or single-gender floor? Turning your bed into a loft?
We’re all about options.

More than 90% of students living on campus choose to be

assigned a roommate so they don’t have to worry about finding
someone on their own. But if you have a specific roommate in
mind, just let us know.

Our residence halls house more than 3,500 students

each year from different cultures, countries, identities
and ethnic backgrounds. We ensure everyone feels
at home.

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Grant Towers

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Two, 12-story towers on the
northwest edge of campus
near the sports fields, tennis
courts and recreation center,
the renovated Grant Towers
have expanded double and
single rooms. You’ll have quite
the view of Central Park and
the West Lagoon, and access Typical Grant Towers Room Layouts
to a modern study lounge.

Features
Room options: Single and double
occupancy.
Accommodations: Bed, mattress,
lockable wardrobe closet, and
flexible furniture configurations
featuring dresser, movable shelves,
desk, and rolling chair for each
resident. Microwave/fridge combo
and window blinds in each room.
Common lounges on each floor.
Restrooms: Located on every floor.
Dining: Dining centers in nearby
Stevenson Towers and New Hall.
Extras: Close to Student Recreation
Center, Outdoor Recreation Sports
Complex and tennis courts. Single Double
Neptune Hall

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Neptune Hall is located in
the central part of campus,
directly across the street
from the newly revamped
Holmes Students Center and
Huskie Line bus. A recent
refresh at both Neptune
East and West brought new
furniture, single rooms and
more, while Neptune East
also gained air conditioning.
And Neptune Central boasts Typical Neptune Hall Room Layouts
the popular Fireplace Lounge
and Neptune Dining.

Features
Room options: Single and
double occupancy.
Accommodations: Bed, mattress,
microwave/fridge combo, closet,
window drapes, desk and rolling
chair for each resident. Common
lounges on each floor.
Restrooms: Located on every floor.
Dining: All You Care to Eat
dining center.
Extras: Recently updated furniture,
flooring and air conditioning
in Neptune East; central
campus location. Single Double
New Residence Hall

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New Residence Hall features
cluster living with enhanced
privacy, as well as a dining
center, recreation facility
and lounge. Students live in
small group clusters of 12,
and each share a semiprivate
bathroom with one other
student. A common space for Typical New Residence Hall Room Layout
each group of 12 residents
includes a study, living room
and kitchen-like area.

Features
Room options: Mini-suite.
Accommodations: Bed, mattress,
microwave and fridge, dresser,
closet, window blinds, desk and
rolling chair for each resident.
Restrooms: Semiprivate bathroom,
shared with one other student.
Dining: All You Care to Eat
dining center.
Extras: Large community center
with recreation and fitness room;
and laundry room in your cluster.
Mini-suites with Shared Bathroom
Stevenson Towers

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With its retail dining center, Typical Stevenson Tower Layouts
including an all-new Erbert
& Gerbert’s Sandwich Shop,
grill, pizzeria, salad toss
and newly renovated Dog Single Double

Pound C-store, Stevenson

is a popular spot. It consists
of four, 12-story towers
on the western edge of
campus featuring several
different styles of living.

Features
Room options: Single and double
rooms; suites with or without
private bathrooms. Suite without
Private Bath
Accommodations: Bed, mattress,
microwave/fridge combo, dresser,
closet, movable shelf with bulletin
board, window blinds, desk and
rolling chair for each resident.
Restrooms: Located on every floor;
some suites have bathrooms.
Dining: Retail dining center with
expanded hours of operation
and the Dog Pound C-store.
Extras: Close to Outdoor
Recreation Sports Complex and Suite with
outdoor tennis courts. Private Bath
Make connections
Residential communities.
Student
Part of our Honors Program? Enjoy esports? Into recreation and wellness? Bet we know leadership groups.
someone like you. With floors on campus tied to these interests and more, our unique residential
communities allow you to connect even more with your fellow Huskies and faculty. Find out all Engage and gain valuable
about them at go.niu.edu/myLLC. skills while serving as
a student voice in your
residence hall. The
Living-Learning Communities. Special Interest Communities.
second-largest student-
Just like the name implies, you’ll live and learn Live with Huskies just like you. You’ll not only led organization on
with other students sharing common academic bond over commonalities, you’ll have direct campus, our highly
interests. Hands-on experiences through field access to the resources and activities you enjoy. awarded Residence Hall
trips, career-related activities and more allow Association provides
you to engage with one another and faculty. social and educational
programs throughout the
year. And our student-run
Community Councils in
each hall ensure you
always have a say in your
living experience.

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ACES: Academic and Career
Exploratory Scholars House
Understand how your courses
connect your major and
future career.
Stevenson
Business Careers House
Experience unique opportunities to
connect with business faculty and
other business students.
Grant
Engineering House
Live and take three courses with
other first-year students enrolled
in the College of Engineering, and
connect with faculty, advisors
and tutors.
Grant
Esports Community
Discover the possibilities of esports
at academic and career events
both on and off campus.
Neptune
Fine Arts House
Live with other students from the
Schools of Art and Design, Music,
and Theatre and Dance.
Neptune
Foreign Language
Residence Program
Practice your language skills
outside the classroom in a relaxed
residential environment.
New Hall
Health Professions House
Enjoy professional development
opportunities, social activities and
more with others interested in
health and service-related careers.
Stevenson
Honors House
Participate in intellectual, cultural
and social activities, as well as
community service projects, with
Honors students.
New Hall
Latinx Affinity House
Live and take three courses with
other students interested in
Latinx culture, and connect with
faculty and staff for Latinx-based
programming and events.
Stevenson
LGBTQA Community
Connect with students who
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, queer and/or as
an ally.
Neptune
TEACH House
Home to students pursuing any
area of teacher certification.
Stevenson
ROTC House
Live with other students who are
part of NIU’s ROTC program and
have a similar schedule.
Neptune
Sport, Recreation and
Wellness Community
Participate in intramural
leagues, weekend trips and
monthly workshops.
Stevenson
 Optimal
options
Wherever you live on campus, you’ll find
everything you need close by. Use this
chart to help find the layout and
amenities that matter most to you. Be
sure to check out niu.edu/housing for
more details about housing options,
photos and helpful videos.

#pluggedin at NIU
When you’re a Huskie, you’re connected
in more ways than one with high-speed
Wi-Fi in each residence hall room. In
fact, your phone, PC, Mac, tablet or
game console will never be without Wi-
Fi when you’re anywhere on campus.
And you’ll never be far from one of
our technology labs or study lounges.
Our computers and laptop tables
provide access to all the software and
applications you’ll ever need, or feel
free to bring your own device. Scattered
throughout campus, you’ll find printers
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for any project. You can print
wirelessly, too!
Compare
Grant Neptune New Stevenson
Towers Hall Hall Towers
Singles ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Doubles ✔ ✔
Suites ✔
Clusters ✔
Single-gender floors ✔ ✔
Coed floors ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
In-hall dining ✔ ✔ ✔
In-hall fitness center ✔
Laundry ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Air conditioning ✔ Neptune East only. ✔ ✔
Elevators ✔ ✔ ✔
Fulfill your cravings
Whether you’re in the mood for a coffee drink from Starbucks, a bagel from
Einstein’s, a burrito from Qdoba or a homestyle meal, you’re in luck!
Our meal plans now incorporate both residential and retail
dining. Within a five-minute walk, you can eat anywhere
on campus. Your biggest challenge will be deciding
where to eat. No matter your craving, our flexible meal
plans allow you to choose from a variety of options.

Do you have special dietary needs or allergies? No worries!

Our registered dietitian nutritionist and detailed online menu
will help you navigate menu choices. With tools like MyDining,
Healthy Huskie Choices and MyPaw, you can sort through
nutrition labels and build your own custom, nutritious meals.

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Meal Plans
We’ve refreshed our meal plans as we’ve expanded
our dining options and locations across campus.
Here’s what you get with our new block plans:
• Meal swipes for dine in, or take meals to go from our All
You Care to Eat Dining Centers at Gilbert, Neptune and
New Hall.
• The option to use a meal exchange at Stevenson.
• Dining Dollars that can be used at any campus dining
location.
• The ability to track the use of your Dining Dollars and
check your balance using our mobile app.
Dining Dollars
Dining Dollars is a flexible spending account conveniently
loaded to your OneCard that will allow you to eat at any campus
dining location. Because Dining Dollars are considered a
meal plan, they’re billed through your student account.
Huskie Bucks
Separate from your dining meal plan, a Huskie Bucks
account is a prepaid debit account that can be used anywhere
on campus. Use them to buy food and drinks, do laundry
or make copies. Loaded to your OneCard, Huskie Bucks
also can be used at many restaurants in DeKalb.

For more information about meal plans,

please visit go.niu.edu/res-mp.
Campus Dining Services
Dining@niu.edu

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Fresh and Fast Options at NIU
Wellness and Athletics
Engage your body and mind.
Your well-being is our priority. That means you’ll have plenty to
do and see on campus, as well as the resources you need to
stay healthy.

Get active.
We like to work and play hard. Our recreation center features
more than 100,000 square feet of space including multipurpose
and racquetball courts; cardio and strength training rooms;
a three-lane track; boxing, plyometric and TRX rooms; and
numerous other amenities.

Drop in at one of our group fitness classes, take part in our

intramural sports or try one of our more than 20 sports clubs
to get fit with friends. Archery, dodgeball, bass fishing, figure
skating, roller hockey, lacrosse, table tennis — you name it, we’ve
got it.

Around here, we’re all about cheering one another on, and our
NCAA Division I Huskie athletes give us plenty to cheer about.
We make it easier than ever to show your Huskie spirit with free
admission to our home games.

Health services.
Northwestern Medicine, one of the top medical systems in
the nation, provides high-quality medical care in our Student
Health Center. Experienced, skilled and compassionate medical
staff provide walk-in health care like that of an immediate care
facility, and can refer students to specialists within the vast
Northwestern Medicine
system if needed.

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A place for
everything
We’re a large public research university where amazing teachers, Retail Dining Center
facilities and resources are all within steps. Whether by foot,
bus, bike or skateboard, our students are surrounded by the Outdoor Recreation
people and services they need to succeed for learning and living. Sports Complex

Considering
commuting?
As a freshman student, if you live within 50 miles of DeKalb
campus and permanently reside with your parent or guardian,
you can choose to commute.

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Complete your Application to Commute for Exemption
Request at go.niu.edu/commute. Don’t complete a housing
contract.
2. Have your application notarized and return it to our
Housing Office.
3. If your request to commute is approved, you’ll receive a
letter of authorization in the mail.

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 Dining at NIU Barsema
Hall

New Hall

Grant Towers
All You
Care to Eat
Dining

Stevenson
Towers

Gilbert Hall

Neptune Hall Holmes

Student All You
Center Health Care to Eat
Services Dining

All You
Care to Eat
Dining
Recreation
Center

Founders
Memorial
Library

DuSable
Hall
 Reserve your spot
It’s time to make it official.
The sooner you submit your housing contract, the
better reservation time you will have when room
selection begins in March. So get to it, Huskie!

Here’s what you need to do:

1. Log in to go.niu.edu/housing-signup using your Z-ID and
password.

Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. niu.edu 52424 12/19
2. Complete your NIU housing contract. (Do not complete this if
you plan to commute.)
3. Submit your housing contract payment of $150. A portion of
this payment is a $25 nonrefundable processing fee, and the
remaining $125 will count toward prepayment on your housing
bill.
4. A fter your contract is complete, you’ll receive a confirmation
email in your NIU Z-ID email account with information about
your contract and room selection, which takes place in March.

You can choose:

• Your residence hall.
• The floor you’d like to be on in that hall.
• The exact bed you’d like on that floor.

As a new freshman student, you’re required to live on campus your

first year.* Trust us, this is one requirement that’s easy to fill.

Housing and Residential Services

niu.edu/housing
815-753-1525
Housing@niu.edu

If you’re married, will reach your 21st birthday by Sept. 1, are commuting from a
30 NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY permanent home address or are a custodial parent of a dependent child,
you’re exempt.
Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. niu.edu 52424 12/19
Questions?
We know how daunting this all seems. We’re here to help.
Wondering whether you can turn your bed into a loft? Why,
yes, you can. Trying to calculate the cost of living in a residence
hall versus commuting? We can help guide you through it.
Visit us at niu.edu. Connect with NIU Housing and
NIU Campus Dining on Facebook for tips, resources and the
latest information, or follow us on Twitter at @NIUlive.
The earlier you submit your housing contract, the better.
• In March, you’ll receive an assigned date
to select your living options.
• Use this guide to compare halls or compare online at
go.niu.edu/compare.
• Visit us during an Open House or an Admitted Student
Day to tour any of our residence halls. Or contact us
at 815-753-0446 to schedule a residence hall tour,
Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Plan to attend an Orientation. The program you
attend depends on the semester you’ll start and
whether you’re a first-year or transfer student.
• Get ready for Move-in Day. We’ll be there every
step of the way to guide you through it all,
from how to check in to what to bring.