DeKALB – As of this semester, the $100,000 NIU Presidential Scholarship, which covered full tuition, mandatory fees, on-campus housing, material fees, meal plans and books, has been replaced with the new Honors Emerging Leaders Program.
The Presidential Scholarship was a competitive, merit-based award for 10 incoming freshmen. To maintain the scholarship for all four years at NIU, students had to be in the honors program, maintain a 3.3 GPA, and serve as an honors ambassador for several honors events, including the Huskie Spotlight, video testimonials and interviewing future Presidential Scholars.
The Emerging Leaders program, like the Presidential Scholarship, is also open to incoming freshmen but is worth up to $2,000.
University Honors Director Andrea Radasanu, an associate professor specializing in political philosophy, said the program is designed to enhance leadership abilities and open opportunities.
“The idea is that students would have the opportunity to grow their leadership skills,” Radasanu said. “They would also have opportunities to meet with existing leaders at NIU sometime in their first year.”
Radasanu explained that the Emerging Leaders program is more focused on leadership building rather than on money.
“The Presidential Scholarship was money, right? Without it, it wasn’t a program. So we’re looking to help students build,” Radasanu said.
The Emerging Leaders program welcomes approximately 20 students a year, but the program is open for expansion depending on the performance it shows after the first year.
“The sweet spot sort of comes after the first year, where you see what’s worked, and that very class helps you make sure that is the right program,” Radasanu said. “It’s in the right, it’s doing the right things and providing the right resources for the students.”
Many concerns remained in the air regarding where the money left over from the Presidential Scholarship is being sent. The Emerging Leaders program only offers $2,000 given to roughly 20 students, while the university spent nearly $1 million on the Presidential Scholarship.
Anne Hardy, the assistant vice president of Student Financial Assistance, explained how the leftover money is being invested into other programs and scholarships, specifically toward the Research Rookies program and honors students.
“We’re looking at ways to increase the funding, increase the number of students that can participate,” Hardy said. “There’ll also be an increase in other awards for honors students. The Honors fellows are currently funded by a different source, and so we’ll be funding that program. So it’s not necessarily a one-to-one swap of dollars, but over all of our financial aid programs.”
While the University will make the switch this upcoming semester, those currently under the Presidential Scholarship Program will continue receiving their full award packages through graduation.
