Steps to apply: first-year student

Submitting your application: step-by-step

1. Review freshman qualifications

Who qualifies as a freshman? Current high school students and high school graduates should apply as a first-year student. If you’ve earned more than 12 credits at a community college, check out our transfer admission requirements.

2. Review the admission and course requirements

Guaranteed admission

You will be offered admission if you have completed your junior year and are on track to graduate with a 2.5 or higher core GPA (based on a 4.0 scale and calculated using only the courses below).

Course requirements for undergraduate admission

First-year applicants must complete at least 14 core courses – all required to graduate from an AZ high school.

3. See if you match with these exceptions

You might be exempt from the course requirements if you meet one of the following:

• You are 22 years of age or older
  • We will evaluate using an overall high school GPA of 2.0 or higher.
• You’ve earned a GED with a minimum score of:
  • 500+ (2002 – 2014)
  • 680+ with minimum 170 in each content area (post-2014)
• You were home-schooled
  • Provide a transcript of high school coursework

4. Check if you have these deficiencies

Applicants are allowed no more than two deficiencies in the above criteria. if the deficiencies are a combo of math and science or both in the same subject area, the applicant will be offered universal admissions. Deficiencies are caused by the following:

• Not taking the required number of courses in a competency area
• Receiving a grade of “F” in a core competency course and not retaking it
• Receiving an unweighted subject area GPA of below 2.0

5. Apply for financial aid

• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after it becomes available each fall. NAU’s priority filing date is April 1. (You can complete your FAFSA before applying to NAU.)
• Be sure to include NAU institution code: 001082
• Renew it each year to qualify for many types of financial aid.
• Undocumented students who are ineligible to complete the FAFSA can complete the CSS profile using NAU school code 4006.

6. For veteran and military-connected students

For information, guidance, and specific next steps, view the the Veteran and Military-Connected Checklist, your resources for VA benefits, getting connected, academic resources, and more. Please email military@nau.edu or call us at 928-523-0097 with any questions.

Submit your application

Apply now as a first-year student and bring your future into view.

Next steps after applying

1. Set up your NAU email and student account

After you apply to NAU you’ll receive a confirmation communication with your user ID. You’ll need a user ID to set up your NAU accounts and access important tools like LOUIE (a tool you’ll use to add/drop classes, check grades and schedules, request unofficial transcripts, view financial accounts and more), and Canvas (NAU’s learning management tool).

Check your NAU Gmail, personal email, and LOUIE regularly for important updates.

2. Check your application status

How to check your application status

1. Sign in to LOUIE with the user ID provided in your confirmation email.
2. Click “SA Self Service”
3. Click “Learner Services”
4. Click “Admissions”, then “Application Status”

Forgot your password?

Visit the NAU Password Change application and enter the user ID from your confirmation email. You’ll be prompted to answer a security question to retrieve or reset your password.

Need help accessing LOUIE?

Contact the Student Technology Center at ask-stc@nau.edu or call 928-523-9294 for assistance.

3. If you’ve been admitted, congratulations! 

Accept your offer and follow the post-acceptance guide.

Need help?

Our admissions team is here to support you every step of the way.
Email us at admissions@nau.edu or call 928-523-5511