Application Steps

There are four different applications for you to choose from when applying to NIC which depend on your degree plans, international status, or if you are enrolling to earn college credit while attending high school at the same time.

Application Types

• Degree Seeking - you are planning to seek a degree or wish to be receiving financial aid and will have graduated from high school or completed your GED prior to the start of college classes. 
• Non-Degree Seeking - you are not seeking a degree but would like to take some classes for credit. Non-Degree students are not eligible for financial aid and scholarships.
• International - you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and you wish to attend full-time with a student visa.
• Dual Credit - you are currently attending high school or are home-schooled and would like to take classes in which you'll earn both high school and college credit.

Non-Credit Workforce Training and Community Education Classes

NIC’s Workforce Training Center, located in the Riverbend Commerce Park in Post Falls, offers a wide variety of non-credit classes for career development and personal interest. Classes are open to the public, generally without pre-admission, academic or residential requirements. Class information and registration is available online at the Workforce Training Center.

What do you enjoy doing? How do you spend your time when you’re happiest? Would you prefer to work directly with people? Do you like to build things?

The career exploration process involves learning more about yourself, researching your options, trying new experiences, and creating a strategic plan to reach your professional goals. Whether you are deciding on a major or determining your career options, Career Services is here to help you every step of the way. 

Explore Career Options

NIC offers a broad spectrum of career paths for students to choose from, with more than 80 academic degree, and career and technical education certificate programs. These career pathways at NIC cover various interest areas, including arts, communications and humanities; healthcare; science, technology, engineering and math; business administration and management; manufacturing and trades; and social sciences and human services.

NIC also offers Associate of Arts and Associate of Science degrees designed for transfer to four-year schools, and Associate of Applied Science degrees and technical certificates in career and technical education programs.

Explore Our Programs

It is vital that you apply with accurate personal information, this includes:

• Your legal name (not your nickname);
• Any former names (first or last names you have used that are different from your current legal name, such as previous names that were changed through a court, marriage or divorce);
• Your correct Social Security number, as this will be required if you plan to apply for financial aid; and
• Your date of birth with the correct year of birth.

 Note: Submitting your application with incorrect personal information could result in your application being withdrawn. 

Residency status is based on the information you provide on the NIC Application for Admissions. Your residency classification will affect your tuition rate. Filling out this application accurately and completely will ensure you are charged the correct tuition rate for your classes.

Types of Residencies

• Resident (includes Ada, Bonneville, Canyon, Jerome, Kootenai and Twin Falls counties)
• Non-District (In-State)
• Washington State
• Western Undergraduate Exchange Program (WUE)
• Non-Resident (Out-of-State/International)

If your residency status changes after you are admitted or at any time during your studies here at NIC, it is your responsibility to initiate any change in residency status. Updating an address on your record does not update your residency status. Learn more about the requirements of Idaho residency for tuition purposes, deadlines to change your tuition rate, and how to apply for an Idaho residency change on our Idaho Residency for Tuition Purposes page.

Your residency classification will be included in the thank you email you receive after your application has been processed. 

It is important to include all colleges that you have previously attended (not applied to) with estimated dates of attendance. Our initial list of needed transcripts will be based on information provided on the NIC Application for Admissions.

NIC awards alternative credit for prior learning experiences and accepts transfer credit from regionally accredited colleges and universities. For an official evaluation of credits, students must request official transcripts from all previous colleges attended.

All official transcripts must be sent directly from the school that issued the grade to NIC electronically or in a sealed envelope. Contact your previous colleges to learn how to request your official transcripts.

NIC offers an unofficial guide for transfer students to review how their courses transfer to NIC. Please note that there may be institutions and courses that we accept that are not currently listed.

Transfer Equivalency Guide

It is important to include all colleges your have previously attended (not applied to) with estimated dates of attendance. Our initial list of needed transcripts will be based on information provided on the NIC Application for Admissions. 

NIC awards alternative credit for prior learning experiences and accepts transfer credit from regionally accredited colleges and universities. For an official evaluation of credits, students must request official transcripts from all previous colleges attended.

All official transcripts must be sent directly from the school that issued the grade to NIC electronically or in a sealed envelope. Contact your previous colleges to learn how to request your official transcripts.

Transfer Equivalency Guide

NIC offers an unofficial aid for transfer students to review how their courses transfer to NIC.

• There may be institutions and courses that we accept that are not currently listed.

Request that SAT or ACT scores be sent directly to Cardinal Central. If test scores are posted on your high school transcript, a separate score report does not need to be requested from the testing agency.

If you have not taken the SAT or ACT within the last four years, or if you have attended another college but have not completed a math or English class, please schedule your NIC English and Math Placement Assessments.

ACT English and math scores must be 12+; SAT math scores must be 360+ and SAT EBRW scores must be 370+.

If you are a transfer student, please send official college transcripts verifying your completion of English and math courses.

First-time students are required to submit an official final high school transcript (once graduated) or GED. An official final high school transcript is a transcript that shows your date of graduation. In-progress high school transcripts are not required but are accepted if SAT or ACT scores are listed and you want them to be used for placement requirements.

Please request an official high school transcript be mailed from your high school directly to Cardinal Central. A hand-delivered transcript may be considered official only if delivered to Cardinal Central in the original sealed envelope. Faxed or electronically delivered transcripts are only accepted from a high school counselor or through Parchment/Docufide, Naviance, etc., and are considered official when received.

If you earned a GED, send a copy of your GED test results to Cardinal Central. If you don't have a copy, request your official GED test scores be sent directly from the certifying agency to Cardinal Central.

International Colleges & Universities

For an official evaluation, international transcripts must be first sent to a third-party organization for an external evaluation of your credentials and individual courses. Third-party organizations include World Education Services (WES) or a similar NACES-approved agency. NIC Admissions will then evaluate your credentials and coursework.

Prior Credit for Military Training and Experience

Thank you for your service in the military! Your prior training and experience in the military may be accepted for credit at North Idaho College. Please submit official copies of your transcript to Cardinal Central.

In granting credit for military training, North Idaho College follows the guidelines of the American Council on Education (ACE) recommendations for the evaluation of educational experiences in the armed services.   

• Air Force (Community College of the Air Force)
• Army/Navy/Marines/Coast Guard (Army ACE Registry Transcription System; Sailor/Marine ACE Registry Transcript System; or Coast Guard Institute

Advanced Placement Program | College-Level Examination Program

Official AP Score Reports must be sent to NIC directly by the College Board. You can choose to send your reports to NIC using school code 4539. NIC awards credit for these AP exam scores.

CLEP Transcripts

Official CLEP Transcripts must be sent to NIC directly from the College Board. NIC awards credit for CLEP in certain exams. 

If you did not indicate a score recipient institution at the time of your exam and you want to request your CLEP scores, you can do so by ordering a CLEP Transcript. This transcript is a cumulative score report of all the CLEP exams you have taken and the scores you earned in the last 20 years. To obtain a CLEP Transcript, visit your College Board account.

International Baccalaureate 

Official IB transcripts are required and must be sent to NIC directly from the International Baccalaureate Program. NIC awards credit for International Baccalaureate exams in certain subject matters.

• Contact Cardinal Central at (208) 769-3311 for more information.

Additional documents may be needed to complete your application or financial aid file. The documents you need to submit (if any) are listed in your MyNIC portal under My Documents. To find My Documents, log in to your MyNIC account, select Self Service under the Services area. Once you are in Self Service, select the person avatar icon (User Options) on the left side-panel, then select My Documents.

Instructions to access your MyNIC account will be provided in your NIC Admissions thank you email.

• Dual Credit applicants: A Dual Credit Authorization form is required prior to acceptance. Please check the Dual Credit webpage for additional information. 
• International applicants: Please refer to the international admissions webpage for additional documentation requirements.