Our Community

The Cardinal Pledge program covers 100% of tuition and fees for qualified first-year students from Illinois, with the goal of expanding access to a North Central education and taking the guesswork out of the financial aid process. It’s #NotTooGoodToBeTrue!

At North Central College, we're proud that 36% of our students are first-generation. Our Cardinal First program is nationally recognized for intentionally connecting first-generation students to faculty, resources, information and experiences that promote academic and personal success from enrollment through graduation.

The cost of college textbooks can be a significant obstacle for many students. That’s why Oesterle Library launch Cardinal Textbooks- a textbook lending program that provides all students with free access to high-use and high-cost textbooks.

At times, students may be dealing with circumstances that lead to great financial duress, so we developed Cardinal Operation Hope and Help, an initiative intended to increase student success, both inside and outside the classroom. This program provides emergency financial support for students with basic needs such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation and educational supplies. 

The Center for Career and Professional Development offers the Cardinal Career Closet, which increases access to quality professional attire to students for career-related experiences, interviews, and professional networking events.