The GREEN Fee is a student-led initiative to improve the quality of campus operations, reduce NIU’s environmental impact, and generate awareness about environmental and sustainable issues by creating opportunities for students’ involvement.

Paid for by all undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, the GREEN Fee is a $5 per semester fee. The GREEN Fee funds personnel and small, short-term projects that help to subsidize larger, long-term projects on campus.

A GREEN Fee concept has existed in higher education since 1973. Many schools, regionally and nationally, provide great evidence that GREEN fees benefit the campus and are highly significant and impactful for the student experience. 

NIU’s GREEN fee would expand and coordinate opportunities for students to positively impact the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of NIU. We propose utilizing the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking and Reporting System (STARS) platform to strategize ways to move NIU forward and gain recognition for efforts that will ultimately lead to increased enrollment and retention of students, staff, and faculty. 

Having a green fund via a green fee for students allows sustainability projects to thrive and helps students build “real-world” skills such as project financing and design, communication, and  collaboration. Students will submit ideas and apply for funds to implement sustainable projects and research that help the university and broader community.