Eligibility

In order to have a full understanding of the policies and requirements related to financial aid, all aid recipients are required to read Financial Regulations for Students on the Evanston Campus.  Aid recipients must also read and be familiar with all Financial Aid and Financial Regulation-related information in the Undergraduate Catalog.

Any undergraduate student enrolled in a degree-seeking program may apply for financial aid. Eligibility requirements include:

• Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Students must be working toward their first Bachelor's degree.
• Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Students must complete the Federal Verification Review Process, if selected.
• Students must not exceed 12 quarters of financial aid, unless they are admitted in a program that requires more than 12 quarters for completion.

Term-Pricing Exceptions
Due to the University enrollment requirement, students are charged for full-time study even if they are registered for less than full-time.  If you drop to two courses after the add/drop period and your charges are not reduced, your aid will not be adjusted.  Students who plan on taking two classes can contact the Office of the Registrar for information regarding the possibility of receiving of a term-pricing exception (charging less tuition for student enrolled less than full-time.) If the amount of your tuition and other charges are decreased by attending less than full-time, your financial aid will be reduced by the same amount of that reduction. Please note that financial aid is not available for students enrolling in only one course (with the only exception being the federal Pell Grant). If you plan on pursuing a term-pricing exception, we strongly encourage you to contact our office to determine how it will impact your financial aid package.

If your enrollment changes from four to three classes, your charges will not be reduced  since you are still considered "full-time" and it will not affect your financial aid award for the term.

Official Method of Communication
E-mail is the University’s mechanism for official communication with students, and Northwestern has the right to expect that students will read official e-mail in a timely fashion.

The Financial Aid and Student Account Offices’ preferred method of communication for financial aid and billing information is electronic.  Notification of a student’s financial aid award and student account invoice will be sent to a student’s university e-mail account when the information is available online.  Financial aid information is available to students via CAESAR and invoice information is available via QuikPay.

By activating your University netID, the Office of Financial Aid will assume you are consenting to the use of electronic records for processing and notifications and disclosures relating to your financial aid award, particularly any federal student aid funds.

Should a student wish to receive a paper copy of his or her award letter or invoice at any time, the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Student Accounts would be happy to honor the request.  Requests should be forwarded to the appropriate office, please use the links below for contact information.