High school students with obstacles have the opportunity to attend NIU with the help of the CHANCE program.

Designed to benefit students that do not meet the criteria necessary to attend NIU, the Chance program targets 280 high schools.

The schools are required to have one-third of its student body with a low income household and possessing an ACT average below 19. These target schools are informed that they are eligible and encourage their students to apply to NIU.

The program at NIU is different than similar programs at other schools, as it is not federally funded, said Leroy A. Mitchell, director of CHANCE.

“Federal-funded programs have folded over the years,” Mitchell said. “We’ve been institutionally funded for 40 years.”

The CHANCE program supports students until the time they graduate from the university.

“Tutoring is available from beginning to end,” Mitchell said. “We are able to provide tutoring in every course.”

Suzanne Coffield, director of the Writers’ Workshop in the English department, said the CHANCE program provides a great opportunity for underprivileged students.

“The program gives students who are really capable the chance to get their academic skills polished so they are very competitive with the rest of the NIU student body,” Coffield said. “We have workshops that students attend each week.”