FEATURES
FEATURES
members, personal mental health, employment concerns of family members (which often require the students to contribute more toward household expenses), and moving/housing.” She adds that NLU is seeing a slight increase in students returning to NLU after leaving during their first year; many of these students took time off to gain stability in their lives, and are now ready to take on college once again. Based on the initial success of the Pathways model, in July 2018 NLU established the Undergraduate College (UGC), which – in addition to serving daytime, full-time, first-time freshmen in Pathways – now also impacts adult and transfer students who take courses daytime, evenings and online. Alongside enrollment growth, NLU has increased the range of programs and opportunities available to students to meet the demands of today’s employment market, including an Honors Program, and new majors in Social Work, Computer Science and Information Systems, and – as of fall 2023 – Marketing. Future plans including growing undergraduate programs in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). As the founding program in our Undergraduate College, Pathways is an excellent example of what distinguishes NLU in higher education: an innovative, nimble mindset as an institution, and an unwavering commitment to equity and access for our students. NLU’s emphasis on holistic student development ensures that our students are not only academically prepared, but also equipped with the life skills and resilience needed to navigate the challenges of today.
For many high school students across the country, enrolling in college remains challenging, leading to disparities in future jobs and lifetime earnings, particularly for people of color. Locally, only 40% of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students enroll in a four-year institution following high school graduation; of those students, only half graduate from college. Our city is home to nearly 50,000 16-to-24-year-olds who are out of school and out of work, with wide-ranging, systemic implications. Recognizing the opportunity to help level the playing field for students of all backgrounds, in fall 2015 National Louis University (NLU) launched our undergraduate program, Pathways, to serve students with the potential to succeed in college and career but who are often at greatest risk of not completing a degree. Pathways was designed to drive equity in bachelor’s degree attainment and employment for students who have been marginalized in college and the workforce, and to do so by knocking down the most common barriers to success. With annual tuition of $11,000, students who qualify for the maximum federal and state financial assistance can potentially attend NLU for zero dollars out of pocket, eliminating a significant roadblock for many. In addition to affordability, Pathways students are able to attend in-person and virtual classes with convenient and predictable schedules so that they can balance their education with work and family commitments. Programs offer clear journeys to degree completion that minimize the time to graduation and that prepare students for a broad range of careers. NLU also offers personalized success coaching and advising, and an array of wrap-
around student supports – made possible by generous donors – that include scholarships, emergency funds, mental health counseling, access to resources for basic needs (including housing and food), and more.
Pathways is an excellent example of what distinguishes NLU in higher education: an innovative, nimble mindset as an institution, and an unwavering commitment to equity and access for our students. “ “ Importantly, career preparation is embedded starting in the first year, along with a required internship before graduation.
The innovative Pathways model has led to extraordinary growth, starting with 85 students in the 2015-16 academic year, to nearly 1,700 students in 2022-23. Today, 60% of Pathways students are female; 76% are Latinx and 12% Black; and 84% are the first in their family to go to college. More than two-thirds of Pathways students are eligible for federal financial aid. While outcomes for Pathways students remain strong and exceed national benchmarks, our students continue to face adversity. Veronica Wilson, Executive Director of Undergraduate Student Success, shares that “some of the conversations we’ve had with students around personal or family struggles have had common themes of physical and mental health of family
nl.edu/undergraduate-college
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