Qualifications

Undergraduates must:

• Fill out FAFSA for 2022-2023 academic year
• Have completed eight classes or 36 units in an academic year at NU; students must be in sophomore or junior standing or have at least 12-16 courses left in their program
• Have a minimum NU GPA of 3.4 and an incoming GPA of 2.7

October 2022 application cycle:
Students who meet these requirements will be emailed in February/March 2022. There will be a link to the application.

Graduate students and credential candidates must:

• Fill out a FAFSA for the 2022-2023 academic year
• Be near the beginning of their degree program (for internal graduate applicants)
• Have maintained a minimum 3.8 GPA

If you are about to enter a graduate program directly from your undergraduate institution and are interested in becoming an NU Scholar, you can apply for NU Scholars. Please:

• Fill out a FAFSA
• Have a cumulative 3.6 GPA in your undergraduate coursework

NU Scholars Welcomes California Community College Students

Students transferring from California community colleges are eligible to apply for NU Scholars Program. To qualify, you must:

• Students transferring from California community colleges are eligible to apply for NU Scholars Program. To qualify, you must: Fill out FAFSA for the 2022-2023 academic year.
• Have completed 60 transferable units at community college
• Have a minimum incoming GPA of 2.7
• Have completed GE areas A-F

In addition to your application, you will need to submit the following (saved as .pdf or .docx):

• Your resume and cover letter
• Two letters of recommendation (one must be from a community college professor)
• Your unofficial transcripts (showing that you met the above-listed GPA/transfer unit/course requirements)

Students must submit their NU Scholars Program application by midnight on the due date to be considered.

California Community College students, please see the transfer tab above.

Incoming undergraduate students must:

• Fill out FAFSA for 2022-2023 academic year
• Have an incoming cumulative 2.7 GPA
• Apply to NU by the date of admission, first week of April 2022

Incoming graduate students must:

• Fill out FAFSA for 2022-2023 academic year
• Have an incoming cumulative 3.6 GPA from their undergraduate college or university
• Apply to NU by the date of admission, first week of April 2022

To apply to NU Scholars, please request the application by emailing [email protected].

Is NU regionally accredited?

• Yes! We are accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), the same academic body as the UC and CSU systems (and community colleges).

Is NU a nonprofit or for-profit university? Why does that matter?

• As a nonprofit, we're proud to put our students first, reinvesting in quality education, experienced faculty, and dedicated support services.

I've heard you have accelerated courses. What does that mean?

• Our classes are four weeks long. This means you can finish your degree faster.

Why do you have this format?

• NU understands the needs of adult learners. You may have full-time jobs, kids to support, and really can't leave work in the middle of the day to attend class. We believe college should be accessible. This is why many of our programs are completely online.

How many units are each course?

• Generally, our courses are 4.5 units. Labs are usually 1.5 units.

If I transfer in, how many courses will I need to graduate?

• It depends. If you have met the GE requirements and pre-major requirements, you probably only have 20 courses left. This means you can graduate in less than two years.

Do you have graduate programs?

• Yes! Please check out our master's programs here. We also have transition programs. This means that the last two upper division courses in your major can be used as the first two courses in your graduate program.

Are you telling me it's possible to transfer to NU and matriculate in three years with both a bachelor's and master's degree?

• Yes. (It depends on the program of study, of course.)

What kind of financial aid and scholarships do you offer?

• NU Scholars Program has a full-tuition scholarship and monthly book stipend award attached to it. Otherwise, you can see if you qualify for financial aid and scholarships.
• At NU, we believe every student who wants to get a college education should not have finances stop them. It's also part of our commitment to our students as a nonprofit.

I'm a U.S. veteran. Do you take Chapter 33 or 31 benefits?

• Yes. We have a team in place just for our veterans. We also have a Veteran Center at our Spectrum location. We are proud to be veteran founded.