Admissions Overview

Contact Information:

Cardinal Central
Web: nic.edu/cardinalcentral/
Email: cardinalcentral@nic.edu

North Idaho College’s open-door admissions policy reflects a commitment of access to higher education. We welcome all students seeking to benefit from our educational programs and services.

How to Apply for Admission

• Submit the application for admission.

  • Note: choose "Start a new Degree Seeking Student Application" if you are not currently enrolled in high school and interested in earning high school credit for college-level courses through the dual credit program. This option is also for those who are interested in applying for financial aid.

  • Note: choose "Start a new Dual Enrollment Student Application" if you are currently in high school or home-schooled and want to take college-level courses for both high school and college credit.

• Submit one of the following:

  • Official high school transcript showing graduation date, or

  • Official home school transcript showing high school/secondary school graduation date, or

  • Official GED or HiSET test scores.

When applying for admission, you must submit accurate information. Failure to do so may result in denial of admission or dismissal from North Idaho College. The following items are strongly recommended for placement in mathematics and English courses, and for prerequisite requirements:

• Submit valid ACT, ISAT, or SAT test scores no more than four years old, or results from NIC placement assessments for English and mathematics.

• Submit official college or university transcripts from accredited institutions.

Admission Types

Degree-Seeking

Degree-seeking students enroll in courses that lead to a specific certificate or degree. Degree-seeking students are also eligible to apply for federal financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), though being a degree-seeking student is not a guarantee of financial aid being awarded.

Dual Freshman

Dual Freshman are those who attended NIC through the Dual Credit program and want to continue their enrollment as a degree-seeking student. Dual Credit students planning to continue as a Dual Freshman need to apply.

First-time Freshman

First-time Freshman are degree-seeking students who have never attended college and have no college credits to transfer.

Former Students

Former students who have previously attended NIC but have not been enrolled for one or more semesters, excluding summer, need to reapply.

Transfer

Transfer students are those who have attended other institutions and received college credit. It is important applicants have their official transcripts sent to NIC from all former schools. All prior education and training from colleges, universities, vocational schools, and the military will be evaluated. Transfer coursework evaluations assist advisors in mapping out courses students still need to complete to earn a certificate or degree.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Students interested in taking classes for personal enrichment, to improve job skills, or for other educational purposes may attend as non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students are not admitted to an academic program, may not apply for federal financial aid, and are not eligible to graduate with a certificate or degree.

Non-High School Graduates

Students without a high school diploma may be admitted as non-degree seeking. Once the student has passed the General Education Diploma (GED) or the HiSET, they may apply as degree-seeking.

Recruitment Guideline

North Idaho College is an open enrollment public institution. Pertaining to all students, including those using veteran and military family benefits, the college refrains from providing commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or federal financial aid (including Tuition Assistance funds) to any persons or entities engaged in any student recruiting, admission activities, or making decisions regarding the award of student financial assistance.

Additionally, the college refrains from high-pressure recruitment tactics such as making multiple unsolicited contacts, including contacts by phone, email, or in-person, or engaging in same-day recruitment and registration for the purpose of securing service member enrollments.