Your Guide to NIU Housing and Dining

a campus to call home

Your Guide to NIU Housing and Dining

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. Your health and well-being are always our top priorities.

As a Huskie, you’ll have the opportunities to gain lifelong friendships, get involved, get the help you need to succeed and have fun. If you’re interested in working while you’re in school, we’ll help you find jobs both on campus and off, including jobs in our residence and dining halls. We’re constantly hiring.

You’ll have access to our free online job board Huskies Get Hired your first semester, throughout your NIU journey and even after graduation.

You’ll choose from flexible meal plans that let you eat when, where and what you want. You’ll have access to plenty of community spaces in your hall to focus on your studies, relax and visit with friends. There are even quiet spots where you can study. 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 to succeed.

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. We offer plenty of ways to connect, explore and enjoy life at NIU. 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 try to make life convenient so you can focus on the important things. Your laundry is now included in your room and board, in addition to a microwave and fridge in each room and an array of dining options nearby.

Our highly trained and caring community advisors provide everything including support, resources and 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.

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. All you have to focus on is selecting the room you want. 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.

Grant Towers

Four 12-story towers on the northwest edge of campus near the sports fields, tennis courts and recreation center, Grant Towers offer expanded single and double rooms with a lockable closet for each student. You’ll have quite the view of Central Park and the West Lagoon, and access 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 Patterson Community Center.

Extras: Close to Student Recreation Center, Outdoor Recreation Sports Complex and tennis courts.

Typical Grant Towers Room Layouts

Neptune Hall

Neptune Hall is located in the central part of campus, directly across the street from the Holmes Student Center and Huskie Line bus. A refresh at both Neptune East and West brought new furniture, air conditioning to floor lounges, single rooms and more. Neptune East also includes air conditioning in all resident rooms. And Neptune Central boasts 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.

Typical Neptune Hall Room Layouts

Extras: Updated furniture, flooring and air conditioning in Neptune East; central campus location. Single Double

Patterson Hall

Our Fanny Ruth Patterson

Complex features a dining center, game room and lounge, as well as cluster living with enhanced privacy as each student has their own bedroom. Students live in small group clusters of 12, and each share a semiprivate bathroom with one other student. A common space for each group of 12 residents includes a study, living room and kitchen-like area.

Features

Room options: Single bedroom mini-suites.

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 game room and laundry room in your cluster.

Mini-suites with shared bathroom

Typical Patterson Hall Room Layout

Stevenson Towers

With its retail dining center, including a deli, grill and pizzeria, 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.

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.

Extras: Close to Outdoor Recreation Sports Complex and outdoor tennis courts.

Typical Stevenson Tower Layouts

Single

Double

Suite with private bath

Suite without private bath

Make connections

Residential communities.

Part of our Honors Program? Enjoy fine arts? Into recreation and wellness? Bet we know 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.

Living-learning Communities.

Just like the name implies, you’ll live and learn with other students sharing common academic interests. Handson experiences through field trips, career-related activities and more allow you to engage with one another and faculty.

Special Interest Communities.

Live with Huskies who share your interests. You’ll not only bond over commonalities, you’ll have direct access to the resources and activities you enjoy.

Identity-based Communities.

Our Latinx Community and LGBTQA Community connect students who are looking for a higher level of engagement with a focus on personal and community identities.

Student leadership groups.

Engage and gain valuable skills while serving as a student voice in your residence hall. The second-largest studentled organization on campus, our highly rewarded Residence Hall Association provides 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.

Live, learn and engage

Here’s a look at just some of the residential communities we offer to promote academic success and strengthen connections between you, faculty and other Huskies. Be sure to explore all of our residential communities at go.niu.edu/communities.

Fine Arts House

Live with other students from the Schools of Art and Design, Music, and Theatre and Dance.

Neptune

Honors House

Participate in intellectual, cultural and social activities, as well as community service projects with fellow Honors students.

Patterson

Sport, Recreation and Wellness Community

Participate in intramural leagues and live with other students who are interested in staying active and leading a wellness lifestyle.

Stevenson

LGBTQA Community

Connect with students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or as an ally. There is an application and interview process to be a member of this community.

Neptune

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 for any project. You can print wirelessly, too!

Fulfill your cravings

Whether you’re in the mood for coffee from Starbucks, a burrito from Qdoba or a homestyle meal, you’re in luck!

Our meal plans allow you to dine at both residential and retail dining locations. 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 alternate dietary needs, allergies or intolerances? No worries! Our registered dietitian nutritionist and their team are happy to assist. We also have online tools such as detailed menus, MyDining, Healthy Huskie Choices and MyPaw to help you navigate menu choices, sort through nutrition labels and build your own custom, nutritious meals. When you’re well-nourished with a balanced diet, you have a more positive experience on campus and achieve your best academic performance. Learn more at go.niu.edu/healthy-eats.

Meal Plans

Our Huskie Block Plans are great because they allow you to eat where, when and whatever you like from any dining locations across campus.

Here’s what you get with our block plans:

• Twelve, 15 or 19 weekly meal swipes to use for dine-in or takeout from our all-you-care-to-eat dining centers at Neptune and Patterson Hall.

• Weekly meal swipes that can also be used for meal exchange at Stevenson’s Retail Dining Center and Gilbert’s East Side Café during hours of operation, as well as Einstein Bros. Bagels and Holmes Student Center at The Depot, the Grill at the Huskie Den and Qdoba during specified hours.

Check out go.niu.edu/where-to-eat for more information.

• One hundred Dining Dollars to use throughout the semester at all campus dining locations, including Ellington’s Restaurant.

For more information about meal plans, please visit go.niu.edu/res-mp.

Campus Dining Services

Dining@niu.edu

Dining Dollars

Dining Dollars are part of your Huskie Block Plan. They’re conveniently loaded to your OneCard and allow you to eat at any campus dining location. Because Dining Dollars are considered a meal plan, they’re billed through your student account. More Dining Dollars can be purchased separately and added to any plan at any time.

Huskie Bucks

Huskie Bucks are separate from your dining meal plan. They’re prepaid and loaded to your OneCard. They can be used anywhere on campus to buy food and drinks or make copies. Huskie Bucks can also be used at many restaurants in DeKalb.

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, 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.

We’re a large public research university where amazing teachers, facilities and resources are all within reach. Whether by foot, bus, bike or skateboard, our students are surrounded by the people and services they need to succeed at learning and living.

A place for everything Considering commuting?

As a freshman student, if you live within 50 miles of the 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/residency. Don’t complete a housing contract.

2. Return your application to our housing office.

3. If your request to commute is approved, you’ll receive a letter of authorization in the mail.

Dining at NIU

Patterson Hall

Grant Towers Stevenson Towers

Gilbert Hall

Neptune Hall Health Services

Barsema Hall

Reserve your spot

It’s time to make it official.

The sooner you submit your housing contract, the better reservation time you’ll 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/myhousing using your Z-ID and password.

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. After 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 first-year student, you’re required to live on campus your first year.* Trust us, this is one requirement that’s easy to fill.

815-753-1525

Housing@niu.edu

*If you’re married, will reach your 21st birthday by Sept. 1, are commuting from a permanent home address or are a custodial parent of a dependent child, you’re exempt from our university residency requirement.

ia l Serv ices

Next steps.

1. Submit your housing contract as soon as possible. The earlier you sign your contract, the earlier you’ll get to select your room when that process opens in the spring.

2. Make sure you’re ready for a strong start at NIU by following your checklist at go.niu.edu/first-year-checklist .

3. Join your official class Facebook group to meet your classmates, find a roommate and get reminders that will prepare you for life as a Huskie. go.niu.edu/fb-group.

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. Contact Housing at 815-753-1525, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with any questions regarding housing or moving in.