Home
University Membership

Benefits of University Membership

Eligibility for University Membership

For an annual fee of $1,000, membership benefits include networking opportunities for educators to build professional relationships, eligibility for student scholarships and special events to educate students on the retail industry and highlight retail’s diverse careers.

To be eligible, your institution must be an accredited public or private college, university or online learning institution that offers degree programs at the bachelor level or higher. Accredited public or private colleges, universities or online learning institutions that offer degree programs at the bachelor level or higher are solely eligible for membership at the NRF University Member level. University membership is limited to colleges and universities within the United States.

View the list of current NRF University Members.

Become a University Member

NRF Foundation Programs & Scholarships

One free educator pass the NRF Foundation Student Program and Retail's Big Show.
Unlimited membership in the NRF Student Association for any currently-enrolled student at your institution.
Ability to nominate a student to be the NRF Student Ambassador for your school, a unique leadership experience that awards a $1,000 tuition award for students that participate.
Student eligibility for NRF Foundation’s Next Generation Scholarship which awards a $1,000 travel stipend to 25 students each year, and up to a $25,000 scholarship for one top recipient ($10,000 scholarship for four other recipients).
Ability for students to participate in the NRF Foundation's University Challenge, a business case-competition designed for students to display their business acumen to retail executives, that awards over $70,000 in scholarships and travel stipends to top teams.
Exclusive, free materials and content that highlight the career opportunities available with the retail industry to supplement curricula and support classroom learning.

Portrait of two students posing in the hallway at NRF Foundation NXT with big smiles.

NRF Content

University-wide membership with the NRF and NRF Foundation, which includes access to members-only research and webinars.
- NRF On Demand – this free member benefit provides you with a digital platform hosting over 100 videos spanning 75+ hours of retail content from NRF’s industry-leading events
- NRF Research – NRF produces research throughout the year responding to trends, consumer sentiment and economic forces. Select research is exclusive to members.
- NRF Retail Resources & Tools – Find tools, resources and examples that retailers utilize regularly to ensure the continued success of their businesses

RISE Up Credentials

Ability to receive up to 15 free Business of Retail Operations & Profit credentials for students, and one additional credential for a faculty member. Each credential includes an online-only curriculum and an exam.
- The Business of Retail credential helps learners understand the positive impact that retail has on the global economy. Using an engaging curriculum with realistic business scenarios, your students will learn about marketing, merchandising, loss prevention, workplace safety and calculating profit.

A representative from Lowe's poses with his tattooed arms crossed in front of the store wearing his Lowe's vest and nametag.

Standing Out Among the Crowd

University Members receive an online directory listing with links to their school’s website, program description and logo. The NRF Foundation also uses its communication outlets to promote member schools, enhancing visibility to retailers and prospective students, potentially increasing the quantity and quality of student applicant pools.

Case Studies and Resources

In addition to the various benefits, membership with NRF can also result in case studies and educational resources, such as the "Recommerce Is Changing the Face of Global Fashion Retail", available below, developed in partnership with University of North Texas.

Recommerce Is Changing the Face of Global Fashion Retail is a case study that is intended to used as the basis of classroom discussions. It includes a history of resale and recommerce, an examination of pop culture and the internets' fashion consumption, economic motivations driving its growth, and what the future of recommerce could hold.

This case is written by University of North Texas Professor Jiyoung Kim, Assistant Professor Iva Jestratijevic, and Professor Sanjukta Pookulangara from the school's Department of Merchandising and Digital Retailing.

The authors may have disguised certain names and other identifying information to protect confidentiality.