Prospective Students Aid
Northwestern University’s Office of Financial Aid offers prospective students a wide range of financial aid options. You must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to apply for aid. The FAFSA is available online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.
Once you have completed your application, please bring it to our office so we can review it and determine whether or not you qualify for financial assistance from Northwestern University. If eligible, we will notify you via email or mail with further instructions on accepting your awards once our office has processed them!
Apply for Aid
The application process for financial aid is simpler than you might imagine. Your first step is to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), which will determine how much money you can receive from federal programs such as Pell Grants and student loans. You’ll also be asked to provide information about your household income, family size and other factors that affect eligibility for need-based aid at Northwestern University.
After filing their FAFSA forms with the federal government, students should wait until they receive notification of their official EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) number before applying for private scholarships or grants through Northwestern University’s Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships office – which may take up to six weeks depending on when exactly the IRS processes their taxes. Students who qualify based on household income levels will automatically be considered for all available forms of financial assistance – including merit-based scholarships offered through various academic departments/schools throughout campus – but those who don’t meet these criteria must still complete all necessary paperwork before being considered eligible candidates.
Early Decision Application Instructions:
Task | Submit as early as | Submit no later than |
Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | October 1 | December 1 |
Complete College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS) | October 1 | December 1 |
Submit Tax Materials | November 1 | December 5 |
Regular Decision Application Instructions:
Task | Submit as early as | Submit no later than |
Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | October 1 | February 1 |
Complete College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS) | October 1 | February 1 |
Submit Tax Materials | October 5 | February 5 |
Transfer Students Application Instructions:
Task | Submit as early as | Submit no later than |
Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | October 1 | March15 |
Complete College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS) | October 1 | March15 |
Submit Tax Materials | March 1 | March 20 |
International Students Application Instructions:
Task | Regular Decision Date Due | Early Decision Date Due |
Complete College Scholarship Service Profile (CSS) | February 1 | December 1 |
Submit Tax Materials | February 5 | December 5 |