For more than 500 NIU fans statewide, Abraham Lincoln’s face is taking a backseat to that of Victor E. Huskie – at least when it comes to license plates.

Since it started in 1996, more than 10,000 drivers in Illinois have chosen a license plate displaying the name and logo of their favorite college or university instead of the traditional Illinois license plate.

The program was started as a way for colleges to raise money for scholarships, said Beth Kaufman, deputy press secretary for the Illinois Secretary of State.

Plate holders pay $118 a year for collegiate plates. Normal plates cost $78 a year. Of the extra $40, $25 goes to the university for scholarships, Kaufman said.

At NIU, it adds up to more than $12,000, which is split between academic and athletic scholarships, said Kathy Buettner, associate vice president and executive director of external affairs and economic development.

Buettner was responsible for helping to make NIU part of the original 15 colleges with plates in 1996.

“I thought it was great idea,” Buettner said.

In fact, Buettner said, she liked the idea so much that she got a plate for her own car.

Buettner, a graduate of Wheaton College, said it was great way to show her pride for NIU as well as to help the university.

Since they were introduced in 1996, NIU’s plates have undergone a redesign. Two years ago, the secretary of state asked that all colleges redesign their plates with bigger fonts.

Ken Zehnder, assistant director of external relations, oversaw the redesign at NIU.

The plate changed from a mostly white plate with an old NIU logo to a plate with a large red stripe across the top and the new logo on the left side. “Northern Illinois University” is written across the bottom.

“We worked to follow [the state’s] specifications,” Zehnder said. “It displays the colors and pride of the university.”

The plates can be ordered when renewing plates, or by visiting the Secretary of State Web site at www.sos.state.il.us.

Since she has had her plates, Buettner said she has seen many people with the plates in DeKalb and in her hometown of Wheaton.

Every time, Buettner said, she takes a second look to see if she knows who is driving.