Dual Credit

1. Meet with Your High School Counselor

   Your high school counselor can ensure you meet eligibility requirements: at least 16 years old and/or completed half of your high school graduation requirements. A 3.0 GPA is recommended.

2. Complete an NIC Application for Admission

   Apply online at nic.edu (top right corner: “Get Started”). Once your account is created, you can start your Dual Credit application. You will need to include a parent email. You’ll receive a confirmation email with your Student ID and instructions for MyNIC and Cardinal Mail.

3. Complete the NIC Dual Credit Authorization Form

   The Dual Credit Authorization Form must be signed by a parent or guardian and your high school counselor prior to registration. Once complete, the form is electronically sent to Cardinal Central for processing. The form can be found here: NIC Dual Credit Authorization Form

   FERPA Notice: North Idaho College is required by law, regardless of age, to keep student records confidential. Without your express permission, NIC cannot share your student records with anyone but you (or appropriate college employees, high school counselors, or dual credit instructors).

   If you would like NIC to disclose your student records to your parents or legal guardians while you are in the Dual Credit program, you must complete the Consent for Release of Information form and submit it to your dual credit advisor or Cardinal Central in person.

4. Complete the Certificate of Residency Form (Non–Kootenai County Residents)

   If you live outside Kootenai County, a Certificate of Residency Form must be completed and returned to your county clerk. Without this form, additional tuition fees apply. You can find this form here: Certificate of Residency Information .

   Note: Processing your application may take up to 5 business days. You’ll receive an email with your Student ID and further instructions.

5. Set Up Your MyNIC and Cardinal Mail

   Go to nic.edu and select MyNIC in the top left corner. Log in using the directions received in your welcome email. Your Cardinal Mail is accessed through MyNIC under Services .

6. Complete Placement Assessments

   Placement assessments measure entry skills in reading, writing, and math. Scores are required for placement in some courses to ensure student success. ACT, SAT, or ASSET scores may substitute for assessments. 

   The English Placement Assessment is non-proctored and may be taken at school or at home.
   • The NIC Easy Math Placement is non-proctored and may be taken at school or at home.
   • The ALEKS Math Placement Assessment is proctored and must be taken at an NIC facility.
     
     
7. Select Classes and Register

   To schedule and register for NIC classes, go to Self Service in MyNIC:

   • Self Service
   • Student Planning
   • Plan and Schedule

   Choose the classes you need and register. Step-by-step instructions are available in MyNIC under Documents (Category: Self Service). Once registered, each course should state: Registered, but not started.

8. Pay Class Fees

   Advanced Opportunity funding does not cover student fees or books. Fees must be paid before classes begin. Check your Student Finance page in MyNIC for payment options.

9. Order Books

   Books may be purchased through the NIC Bookstore at nicbookstore.com using your student ID number after registration is complete.

10. Log In to Canvas

    Complete first-week tasks to avoid being dropped for non-attendance.

Please contact the Dual Credit office with any questions: (208) 625-2329 or dualcredit@nic.edu .

Your high school counselor can determine if you are eligible and help you develop a plan. If you are home schooled, please contact the Dual Credit Office at (208) 625-2329 or (208) 769-3321.

To qualify for Dual Credit at NIC, you must be an Idaho resident, be at least 16 years of age or have completed at least one-half of your high school graduation requirements to participate in classes on an NIC campus (including online classes). A minimum GPA of 3.0 is recommended.

Applying is the first step to becoming an NIC student. Registering at the high school for an NIC class being taught in the high school only puts you on the high school roster. You must apply and become an NIC student. Your parents/guardians will need to complete their portion of the Dual Credit Authorization form once your student application has been submitted. You will be required to provide a valid parent/guardian email when you complete the online application. The Dual Credit Authorization form will be sent electronically to the parent/guardian e-mail provided.

It is imperative that you use a personal email address – not your high-school email address. Letters from Admissions go to the personal email addresses provided in the application. For these not to bounce back, a personal email address is required.

*Watch our video: NIC Dual Credit Application Walkthrough - (Located right of this page above the red Apply Now button)

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): North Idaho College is required by law, regardless of age, to keep student records confidential. Without your expressed permission, we cannot share your student records with anyone but you (or appropriate college employees, high school counselors or dual credit instructors). 

Note: After your NIC application and test scores are provided to the NIC Admissions office, it may take up to five business days for the application to be processed for acceptance. Upon full acceptance, you will then be able to register online for classes. Within a week of applying online, you will receive a letter in the mail that provides you with a student ID number and an outline of what needs to be done to complete your application to become fully accepted. The student ID is necessary to set up a MyNIC account and take placement tests.

The placement assessment is an important part of enrollment because it measures your entry skills in reading, writing, and math. Assessment scores are used for placement in courses to ensure your success. ACT, or SAT or ASSET scores will substitute for the ALEKS Math Placement Assessment and/or NIC’s English Placement Assessment (The Write Class) fulfilling placement requirements. The Write Class is non-proctored and may be taken online thewriteclass  A student ID number will be required to sign in. The ALEKS Math Placement Assessment requires a three-hour practice prior to taking the final assessment. The Aleks Math Placement test is proctored and must be taken at an NIC facility.

Once you have a student ID number, make an appointment to take the Math placement test at one of the NIC Testing Centers in Coeur d’Alene, Bonners Ferry or Sandpoint. For more information, visit the Testing Center page or call (208) 676-7203.

To qualify for an Associate of Arts or an Associate of Science Degree, a candidate must:

1. Complete a minimum of 60 semester credits of 100- and 200-level courses with a grade point average of 2.0 (C) or better in all work attempted: and,
2. Satisfy distribution requirements listed below with a grade of C- or better in each course.

 Gem Requirements

Setting up your MyNIC account:

1. Go to www.nic.edu and click on “MyNIC”

2. Click on the Orange box that says “New Students and Employees…Start Here”

3. Enter your seven digit student ID number from your Admissions Acceptance Letter (if you do not have your letter, please call our office and we can assist you).

4. Your username will display, click on the “Please click here to proceed to Step 2 and update your password”.

5. On the next screen your username should automatically have populated in the “Username” box. “Current Password” will be your 6 digit date of birth (example: March 16, 2001 is 031601) “New Password” create a password that you will easily remember with 6-9 characters (you may use a combination of letters and numbers). “Confirm New Password” renter your password

6. You will receive a message: Password successfully changed. Click on the Log On to MyNIC button to login to your account with your new password.

7. Write down your Username and Password or save it into your password file system

To Register for Classes login into My NIC

• Click on DUAL CREDIT ORIENTATION click on step 4 on left menu, follow the steps or contact Dual Credit

Setting up your Cardinal Mail

All students receive a Cardinal Mail email account once they have applied to NIC. All official communication from NIC is sent to your Cardinal Mail, so it is very important to check your Cardinal Mail often. There is a link on your MyNIC account to your Cardinal Mail.

1. Log in to your MyNIC account.

2. Click on the red Cardinal Mail (image below) and this will automatically take you to your Cardinal Mail email account.

Books can be purchased online only at https://nicbookstore.com/textbooks . The Cardinal Bookstore is located in the Student Union Building. Check with your instructor before purchasing books. Some books may be provided if your class is at your high school.