DeKALB – Starting in the fall of 2018, students at the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Law will not be charged out-of-state tuition premiums.
The school’s board of trustees unanimously voted Dec. 7 to extend the in-state tuition rate to law students. The NIU trustees had voted this past October to eliminate out-of-state tuition for undergraduate and graduate students who are U.S. residents.
In a press release, the law school’s Interim Dean Mark Cordes noted that the tuition change.
“We have always prided ourselves on offering an excellent legal education at an affordable price. This change improves our value proposition for students outside of Illinois and this will allow us to better compete for the strongest students across the country,” he said in the release.
Cordes also noted in the release that National Jurist Magazine rated Northern Illinois University as a "best value" for the past four years. NIU has strong bar passage rates and a good number of graduates find employment after graduation, which the magazine looks at when voting. The school has also historically offered reasonable rates of tuition, the release states.
"Our graduates go on to succeed in all facets of law, from public interest to private practice to corporate law. We believe law students across the country will recognize that combination of quality and value, and will be eager join us,” Cordes said in the release.
Sol Jensen, NIU’s vice president for enrollment management, marketing and communications, noted in the release that the elimination of out-of-state tuition premiums makes NIU unique, and he added, “This is a significant example of our continued commitment to make higher education accessible and affordable.”
The NIU College of Law's release said its tuition and fees will remain $915.81 per credit hour. For students taking 12 or more credit hours, tuition is capped at $10,989.72 per semester.